Three Brazilians appeared before the Port Kaituma Magistrate’s Court yesterday after being charged with overstaying their permitted period in Guyana.
The defendants, Alisson DaSilva Ferreira, Jonathan Lima Pinheiro and Dion Marcus Ferreira Rodrigues, appeared virtually before Magistrate Faith McGusty, where the charges were read to them.
Ferreira pleaded guilty and was fined $60,000 or, in default, sentenced to four months’ imprisonment. The court also ordered that he be deported.
Pinheiro also admitted the charge and was fined $30,000 or, in default, sentenced to two months’ imprisonment. He, too, was ordered deported.
Rodrigues pleaded not guilty and was remanded to prison pending the hearing of the matter.
The case against him was adjourned to July 14.
According to the Guyana Police Force, the men were arrested during a joint operation conducted on June 16 by police and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission in the Arakaka Backdam area of the North West District.
The exercise targeted illegal gold mining activities and checks carried out during the operation showed that the three men had remained in Guyana beyond the period authorised by immigration authorities.
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