A Sophia man was on Friday fined $50,000 with an alternative of 12 months imprisonment for falsely signing a document that said he never owned a passport.
Cyril Cort, 45, a bus driver of 65 ‘C ‘Field, Sophia signed the declaration on a passport form that said he had never previously owned a passport. It was alleged that Cort purchased and filled the form on January 10, signed the said declaration and handed the form to an immigration officer. The customary checks were made, which revealed that Cort had previously owned a Guyana passport. He was told of the offence, arrested and charged.
According to Cort, who pleaded guilty, his passport is in St Lucia where he sent it so his girlfriend could look after his citizenship in that country. He said someone misled him to think that he could apply for another since he needs to leave the country. He also said that he did not read the declaration before signing it. He told the magistrate that he was a first-time offender and would not attempt such again.
