A Cuban national, who admitted that he inserted a false Guyana employment visa into his passport, has been spared a prison sentence.
Yoanny Mikuel Companioni Barroso, 29, was yesterday fined a total of $200,000 after pleading guilty to forgery charges. If Barroso fails to the pay the fines, he will have to spend six months in jail.
The man pleaded guilty to the charges through an interpreter and told the court that his actions were
driven by his plan to come to Guyana to seek employment to assist his family back home in Cuba.
The court heard that between August 1 and August 29, he conspired with persons unknown to insert a forged Guyana employment visa in his Cuban passport #H126957, purporting to show that it was issued by the Central Immigration and Passport Office (CI&PO), knowing it to be forged.
Additionally, the court was told that on October 3, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri with intent to defraud, he uttered to Immigration Officer Constable Alexander, a Republic of Cuba passport #H126957 in favour of himself, with a false Guyana employment visa purporting to show that it was issued by the CI&PO, knowing it to be forged.
Barroso’s attorney, Paul Fung-A-Fat, begged the court for lenience on his client’s behalf.
According to Fung-A-Fat, the father of two “was offered a deal and he accepted but knew he was doing wrong.” The attorney added that his client was sorry for his actions.
The lawyer said that his client is an engineer by profession and that it was not the first time that he had come to Guyana.
His local address was given as 20 Delhi Street, Prashad Nagar.
Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, who presided over the matter at the Georgetown Magis-trates’ Court One, fined Barroso on each count.
