Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson ordered that a Jamaican who appeared before her at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday, pay a fine of $40,000 and that he return to his homeland as soon as possible.

Raphael Blake had pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that between Decem-ber 9 last year and January 7 this year he failed to comply with his permit that only gave him permission to stay in Guyana from June 8 to December 8 last year.

He told the court that he had been misinformed about how long he was permitted to stay in Guyana.

He said he came to Guyana to get married and a friend had told him that once he was a Caricom national he would have been able to stay in the country for at least a year before renewing his permit.

He said he is now aware that the permit needed to be renewed every six months.

Blake then informed the court that he had already purchased a plane ticket and that he is scheduled return to his homeland today.