Guyanese Pair Faces Joint Immigration Charges

Stabroek staff/November 21 2009

(Antigua Sun) – The 24-year-old Guyanese man who was convicted last month for uttering false documents to immigration officials is expected to be jointly charged with a Guyanese woman believed to be an accomplice.

Latchman Bhola who is facing criminal charges was further remanded to prison on Thursday, when the matter came up for hearing in the St. John’s Magistrates’ Court.

The prosecution told Magistrate Keith Thom they were seeking an adjournment until November 23, since it was likely that Bhola will be jointly charged with Zeena Moonasah. Moonasah is currently on remand until her trial later this month.

She is charged with forging an Antigua and Barbuda immigration extension stamp some time between May and August of this year.

Moonasah reportedly had in her possession a seal, which she later used to stamp time in a woman’s passport after she was paid on one occasion $450 and at another time $550. Latchman Bhola was held at VC Bird International Airport on October 24, after he disembarked a Liat flight from Barbados. Reports are he presented his passport to an immigration officer for clearance to enter the country when the fake extension and work permit stamps were discovered.

He was subsequently charged with uttering forged documents, was convicted, fined and ordered deported.

But his deportation was halted and criminal charges were filed against him, after investigators allegedly