By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
A Haitian man who arrived by boat only three weeks ago on Grand Bahama was arraigned on Friday in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court charged with illegal entry into the Bahamas.
Wildi Gujean appeared before Magistrate Charlton Smith in Court Two. With the help of an interpreter, the charge was read to him in Creole, for which pleaded guilty.
According to the particulars, on Friday, August 31, while on routine patrol in the Freeport area police arrested Gujean after he was unable to show proof of his legal status. He was turned over to Immigration authorities.
During checks at the Department of Immigration, there was no record of his legal status in the country and no record that he had entered the Bahamas legally.
“When did you come to the Bahamas?” Magistrate Smith asked Gujean. Gujean, through an interpreter, replied that he came by boat to The Bahamas three weeks ago.
When asked where police had picked him up, the immigration officer told the Court that he did not know exactly where police had arrested Gujean.
“I don’t have that information. The police were on routine patrol when they stopped and questioned him. He only came into our custody today, and we wanted to expedite the matter as quickly as possible,” the officer said.
Magistrate Smith told the immigration officer that it is their responsibility to get the information from police concerning illegal immigrants who they take into their custody.
He then ordered Gujean to pay a $300 fine or serve two months in prison.
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