A Chinese national was on Monday charged with defrauding an immigration officer and forging a Guyana business visa and departure stamp in his passport.
Zhifang Xie, of Enmore, East Coast Demerara, was read a charge which stated that on February 3, at the Central Immigration and Passport Office, with intent to defraud, he uttered to Immigration Officer Lance Corporal Murray a People’s Republic of China Passport, with a forged Guyana Business Visa and a Guyana Immigration Departure Stamp in his passport, purporting to show that it was issued by the Central Immigration and Passport Office.
Xie pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him by Magistrate Leron Daly.
The accused was read a second charge, which stated that between February 1, 2016 and February 29, 2016, he conspired with a person or persons unknown to forge a Guyana business visa and a Guyana immigration departure stamp in his passport, purporting to show that it was issued by the Central Immigration and Passport Office. Xie also pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Attorney Paul Fung-A-Fat, who represented the accused, told the court that his client is a businessman and owns ‘Wang Fa’ Supermarket and Liquor store at Enmore.
The lawyer said that Xie applied for an extension and was granted an additional two-year stay in Guyana via work permit. Fung-A-Fat said that his client took the work permit to the passport office, where they found that the stamp was not genuine.
According to the lawyer, his client cannot conspire with anyone since he speaks Mandarin and he had to have the aid of an interpreter for his charge to be read to him.
Fung-A-Fat said that the police are still investigating the matter and therefore his client should be given bail.
Magistrate Daly granted the accused $200,000 bail on each of the charges and adjourned the proceedings until February 13.
