Five Cuban nationals were yesterday remanded to prison after each of them pleaded not guilty to illegally entering Guyana by way of Springlands, Corentyne.
The five Cubans—three men and two women—were brought before the Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where a charge was read to each of them.
It is being alleged that on March 15th, at Springlands, Corentyne, they entered Guyana by sea and disembarked without the consent of an immigration officer. Following a not guilty plea by each accused, the police prosecutor objected to their release on bail.
The prosecutor told the court that because the five persons entered Guyana after stopping in Suriname, it is clear that they would have no fixed address and therefore the court would have no idea of how to track them down.
The Magistrate then asked them what their reason for being in the country was, to which they all said they were only “passing through” and had no intention of staying. She then remanded them until March 23.
The five Cuban nationals were wearing masks when they made their appearance at the court as part of apparent intensified efforts by law enforcement to take precautionary measures against the novel coronavirus disease.