The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) recorded its first conviction for the year when Camille Marcus was ordered to pay a $150,000 fine after she pleaded guilty to being in possession of illegal gasoline when she appeared in the Charity Magistrate’s Court.
A release from the GEA said that the court heard that on February 19, 2013, GEA inspectors discovered about 24 gallons of gasoline at Marcus’s residence. Laboratory tests confirmed that the fuel did not contain the required concentration of fuel marker and was therefore illegal.
When she appeared in court before Magistrate Sunil Scarce, Marcus admitted ownership of the fuel and that the prosecution’s facts were true. She then told the court that the fuel was brought to the location by her husband who plies passengers to the North West District, a trade in which she assists him. Marcus’s attorney also told the court that the woman was remorseful and that the fuel was not used for personal gain.
The release said, however, the magistrate rebutted these claims noting that the illegal fuel was being used in the conduct of their business. He ordered her to pay the fine or serve an alternative term of nine months imprisonment.
This is the 27th conviction for the GEA’s Fuel Marking Division since the government introduced the programme in 2007. The GEA remains committed to combating fuel smuggling and illegal possession of fuel and continues to intensify enforcement in this regard. Persons with information about the said crimes are encouraged to contact the agency at telephone numbers 226-0394 or 624-5905.
