Foreigners fined K4,000 for illegal entry

**Frenchman Stephane Andre Joseph Fumat, 48, (right) and Belgian Thierry Edmond Vandevenne, 48, (back) exiting the court room after being fined on Monday afternoon. – Nationalpic by MIRIAM ZARRIGA**

TWO foreigners who pleaded guilty on Friday to illegally entering Papua New Guinea were each handed K2,000 fines by District Court magistrate Danny Wakikura on Monday.
Frenchman Stephane Andre Joseph Fumat, 48, and Belgian Thierry Edmond Vandevenne, 48, paid their fines avoiding three-month jail terms and were given 24 hours to exit the country.
The two will remain in the Immigration and Citizenship Authority (ICA) custody at the Bomana Immigration Centre (BIC) until they leave.
The pair’s yacht Vivre was intercepted and boarded by ICA officers, police, Transport and Customs officers last month near Loloata Island.
Chief migration officer Stanis Hulahau said the yacht was seen and reported to authorities who went to check the yacht.
“Due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) protocols, health officers boarded the yacht first and cleared the yacht prior to ICA officers and other support agencies boarding the boat,” he said.
“They found the 48-year-old boat owner from France and his Belgian engineer who told the officers initially that they had departed Bora Bora Island northwest of Tahiti in French Polynesia two months ago.
“We have procedures for entry either by air, sea or through land, and now, we have new requirements with the Covid-19 protocols and we expect everyone to comply.”