…after return from Suriname

Principal Magistrate Krishndat Persaud fined fifteen fishermen $20,000 each or an alternative of 12 weeks imprisonment when they appeared before him at the Mibicuri Court, Black Bush Polder yesterday charged with departing Guyana illegally.

The men had faced fishing charges in Suriname and had been slapped with substantial fines. The court heard that between May 31 and June 30, 2008 at Mc Doom Wharf, the men departed Guyana for Suriname by land frontier from a place other than a port of entry under the immigration act.

Among the persons charged were Davenand Boodwah of 17 Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara (WCD); Kenneth Paul of 5 Montrose, East Coast Deme-rara (ECD); Caesar Mann; Avinash Bissoondayal and Roy Griffith of Best Village, WCD and Biswahdrea Basdeo of Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

The other fishermen charged were Fezad Ally of Greenwich Park, EBE; Indardeo Boodwah of Vigilance, ECD; Rickson Boodwah of Lyng St Charlestown; Michael Griffith of Haslington, ECD; Avinash Sahai of Lima, Essequibo; Jaikarran Raouf and Godfrey Marks of Philedelphia, EBE; Reyan Ally of Barnwell, EBE and Sohan Persaud of Parika, EBE.

The men pleaded guilty to the charge and when asked by Magistrate Persaud whether they had anything to say responded that they were sorry and promised not to allow it to happen again.