Lethem businessman, two others fined for illegal airstrip

Jul 19, 2018 News

A Lethem businessman and two other persons were yesterday fined for establishing an illegal airstrip.

The businessman, 44-year-old Hutshan Ramsingh called Seon Singh, of Tabatinga, Lethem, and his employees Nathan Hamilton and Wasim King, were charged for unlawfully establishing an aerodrome in Mandacaro Island Savannah, Lethem, Region 9.

According to reports, the illegal aircraft and airstrip were discovered on August 13, 2017, about 10 miles from Santa Fe.

The airstrip which was discovered previously was destroyed by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). It is believed that the plane, said to be a Brazilian-registered one, and the airstrip, were being used for illegal activities.

Last October, Minister of State Joseph Harmon revealed that persons from Brazil claimed that the aircraft was stolen.

The plane was handed over to the army and police had reportedly seized a front end loader.

Ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, confiscated two passports belonging to a Colombian and a Brazilian. These were found on the illegal Beechcraft twin-engine plane.

It is believed that the travel documents belonged to two of the people who managed to escape when police and others were closing in. A quantity of dry rations, medical supplies, clothing, footwear, two hand-held radios, flashlights, cellular phones were also found during initial inspection.

The trio had been originally charged for conspiring together with persons unknown to facilitate the landing of the aircraft in an unauthorized port of entry at Mandacaro Island Savannah, Lethem, Region 9.

Attorney-at-Law for the accused, Jerome Khan argued that the charges were defective.

Before the trial could have commenced, Khan, made a submission on a point of law, that the facts did not disclose any statutory offence of conspiracy to commit a felony as alleged.

Khan citing authorities also argued that it is not a Felony to facilitate the illegal landing of an aircraft whether at an authorized or unauthorized port of entry. “Therefore there can be no offence of conspiracy to commit a felony.”

Khan further argued that neither the provisions of the Civil Aviation Act nor the Immigration Act create any felony, as any offences under those acts are statutory offences which are neither felonies nor misdemeanors.

Moreover, he noted that the court had no jurisdiction to proceed to hear on an invalid charge, since the Court derives its jurisdiction from the validity of the charge.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) yesterday withdrew old conspiracy charges and brought new summary charges against the three named accused – filed under the Civil Aviation Act, Cap 53:01 – in which it was alleged the three accused unlawfully established an aerodrome in Mandacaro Island Savannah, Region 9.

The three accused subsequently pleaded guilty to unlawfully establishing an aerodrome and were fined $50,000 each. The matter was heard at the Lethem Magistrate’s Court.

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