A 36-year-old Cuban National who was caught with a forged immigration stamp in his passport, was today charged for the offence.
The man, Kenlhys Hernandez Cartaya, of 53 Pere Street Kitty, Georgetown, appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
He denied the charge which stated that on January 6, 2020, at the Central Immigration Passport Office, Georgetown, with intent to defraud, he uttered to Jenell Lovell an Immigration Officer, one Cuban passport in favor of himself containing one forged Guyana immigration stamp.
Cartaya who is a chef at the Italian Grill, was represented by attorney-at-law Latchmi Rahamat. The lawyer in a successful bail application told the court that her client once resided and worked in Venezuela after marrying his Venezuelan wife.
The lawyer added that the couple then came over to Guyana legally and have been working with the United Nations organization to assist persons like themselves who came to Guyana to get jobs.
The couple has been working to help translate for other Spanish speaking persons who are in Guyana.
The lawyer asked that bail be granted to her client in a reasonable amount citing that he is not a flight risk.
The court prosecutor objected to bail being granted to the defendant citing the prevalence of the offence and the fact that the defendant has no ties to Guyana and he poses a flight risk.
The Magistrate after listening to both sides released Cartaya on $100,000 bail.
Condition of the bail is that he report to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters every Monday until the hearing and determination of the trial.
The father of one was instructed to make his next court appearance on February 5, 2020.
