The Department of Immigration announced yesterday that persons involved in the recent illegal immigrant landings near James Cistern, Eleuthera were charged on Monday and Tuesday.
Two Haitian boat captains, Antoine Armad and Frankie Pierre, were charged before the Magistrate’s Court for assisting with the illegal landings.
Armad pleaded guilty on June 8 and was fined $2,000 or two years imprisonment at the Department of Correctional Services, where he is presently detained.
Pierre pleaded not guilty on June 9 and was remanded to the Department Correctional Services until his trial date which is scheduled for July 13, 2015.
The illegal immigrant landings occurred in Eleuthera on June 3.
Further, three Haitian nationals, Tide Estilus, Sinfilien Remy and Robenson Guerrier,
who are residents of The Bahamas and holders of work permits together with a Bahamian national, Franklyn Smith, were also charged before the courts for harbouring, aiding and abetting illegal persons who are fugitives from justice.
All defendants pleaded not guilty, but Estilus, Remy and Guerrier were remanded to the Department of Correctional Services until their trial date, July 13, 2015.
Smith was granted bail in the sum of $1,500 and will appear in court on September 16, 2015.
In a related incident, Johnnie Emil, an undocumented Haitian national, appeared before the Magistrate’s Court in Rock Sound, Eleuthera where he was charged with four counts of assault with a deadly instrument and causing damage to government property (a vehicle assigned to the Department of Immigration).
He pleaded not guilty and was remanded to the Department of Correctional Services until June 17, 2015.
Additionally, an illegal immigrant is in police custody and detained at the Princess Margaret Hospital after he was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and an immigration officer in the execution of their duties at Palmetto Point, Eleuthera on June 9, 2015.
The alleged assault resulted in the accidental discharge of the service revolver of the police officer causing injuries to the face and shoulder of the suspect.
The latest incident is under active investigation by the relevant authorities.
