You are here
Home | Amendment to Praedial Larceny Act to Go Before Parliament Shortly
Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Franklin Witter addresses a Praedial Larceny Prevention Sensitization session on October 5 at the Alhambra Inn in Kingston.
October 8 (JIS):
Legislation to amend the Praedial Larceny (Prevention) Act to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement to go after farm thieves is expected to go before Parliament shortly.
Addressing a sensitisation session on October 5 at the Alhambra Inn in Kingston, State Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Franklin Witter, said the amendment will provide further deterrence against the criminal activity.
“One of the things the Ministry is looking at, currently, to address these challenges is the issue of the amendment to the Praedial Larceny Act, because we want to make sure that we give teeth to the Act, so that the police can deal with the enforcement,” he pointed out.
He said that the Ministry wants to ensure that “our farmers will be able to reap what they grow and what they produce”.
“That Act is coming to Parliament very soon, and we are looking forward to making sure the police are given the teeth [so] when they go out there to perform their duties and catch these thieves, they will have the Act and the law will have the impact and effectiveness to create that deterrence,” he added.
Under Section 11 of the Act, offenders who are suspected of possessing stolen produce or livestock and who refuse to allow a search of their premises by the authorities, shall, upon conviction, face a fine of $40,000 or up to three years’ imprisonment.
