A man who pleaded guilty yesterday to falsifying documents for a passport application was fined $100,000 with the alternative of eight months in prison, when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
On June 11, 2009, Mahendra Sheeram, 27, of 710 Seventh Street, Cummings Lodge knowingly presented false documents to the Central Immigration and Passport Office stating that he was Kishore Ram, the court heard.
Sheeram did not have an attorney present.
Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones stated that the defendant knowingly presented false information and a birth certificate under the name Kishore Ram in order to obtain a passport. The defendant was granted the travel document and travelled to St Maarten. However, during an immigration exercise on that island, Sheeram came under questioning.
According to the prosecutor, Sheeram was previously in St Maarten under his rightful name, but overstayed his welcome and was deported by St Maarten authorities.
Back in Guyana, he applied for another passport under the name of Kishore Ram and returned to St Maarten.
Jones further told the court that after the exercise which was carried out by the officials in St Maarten, Sheeram was deported to Guyana where he came under the jurisdiction of Guyanese officials, who also verified that Kishore Ram and Mahendra Sheeram are the same person. He was told of the offence and he had admitted to the police while under caution.
The court subsequently fined the defendant $100,000. Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan stated that if Sheeram fails to pay the sum, by default he will be required to serve eight months in prison.
