An American citizen yesterday appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Hazel Octave-Hamilton and had his charge of entering the country illegally dismissed.
Travis Kent, 40, a native of Arizona, who was represented by attorney George Thomas, was charged with entering Guyana illegally on May 13 by sea. He pleaded guilty to the charge first but his plea was changed by the magistrate to not guilty after the defence presented its case and it revealed that a thorough investigation had not been carried out.
It was alleged that Kent who departed the United States from Florida with his yacht on February 28, entered the waters of Guyana illegally on May 13, and moored his boat at the Coast Guard wharf, which is not a port of entry. Kent also allegedly failed to present a United States passport upon entering Guyana. He was later arrested and charged and his boat was placed in custody at the Coast Guard wharf.
In a bail application for his client, Thomas said Kent was sailing his boat which encountered difficulties and subsequently sailed into the Demerara River. He sought the assistance of two men who were standing at a wharf. The defence also stated that his client was robbed and beaten in his left eye by the said two men. It was when the battered Kent reported the matter to the police that they in turn arrested and charged him. Upon hearing the defence’s submission, the magistrate asked the prosecution if the case of the defence was true since if it was, the man should not be charged with illegal entry. The prosecutor replied that she was not certain as to what transpired. The magistrate then asked for the statements taken at the time the investigations were carried out. The prosecutor replied that they have statements but failed to produce them in court yesterday. The magistrate then stated that the police failed to do a thorough investigation into the matter and she would have to enter a plea of not guilty on behalf of Kent since the matter was not of the nature of illegal entry.
The case was transferred to Magistrate Sueann Lovell’s court where it was dismissed based on the explanation given by the defence and the lack of evidence on the prosecution’s part.
