Havana, Tuesday October 21, 2008. Year 12 / Number 294

New legislation issued after Gustav and Ike

Lourdes Pérez Navarro
lourdes.p@granma.cip.cu

A CubaNews translation. Edited by Walter Lippmann.

Much is said about hurricanes Gustav and Ike’s harmful effects on houses, crops, facilities, and electrical and communication grids, but there’s also been an impact on some people’s conduct, which has led to criminal proceedings.

Taking advantage of the situation, some unscrupulous individuals started to speculate with food prices, stockpile resources, steal downed telephone and electrical lines, misappropriate households and commit illegal slaughter of cattle and other large farm animals. Others have stolen construction materials assigned to relief programs, breached the peace, and/or engaged in unlawful economic deals.

While most Cubans are totally absorbed in the reconstruction of towns, factories and sown fields, some commit misdeeds and behave improperly, which called for adjustments to tailor our legislation in order to suit the present circumstances and strengthen the courts’ rigor and effectiveness accordingly.

That’s the purpose of Instruction 188, issued by the Government Council of the People’s Supreme Court last September 22.

In accordance with the law

Adjustment is the key word, according to its vice president Eduardo Rodríguez González. Our courts of law will act with the utmost severity, not in all cases, but against those who pretend to commit these and other post-hurricane crimes for their own gain.

In dealing with the relevant facts, judges will take into account the clause on aggravating circumstances, laid down in Article 53 e) of the Penal Code, about “acts committed in circumstances of public disaster or impending danger resulting from it or any other special situation”, or Article 54, item 2, which allows the court a 50% increase of the maximum sentence when several aggravating circumstances concur or one of them manifests itself intensely.

So far all cases have been dealt with at municipal level, where statistics show that courts have applied the new measures with maximum rigour.

Between January and August 2008, an average 15% of tose found guilty were sent to prison; 3% were sentenced to correctional work in prison and 14% got the same punishment without imprisonment, whereas 6% of the offenders ended up with their rights restricted and a total of 56% got away with fines.

Things are different now. For instance, between September 23 and October 3, the above sentences were passed, respectively, to 24.5%, 21.3%, 40.1% and 10% of the offenders.

According to Instruction 188, correctional work sentences must be served, as a rule, in fields having considerable impact on society, such as construction, agriculture and garbage collection.

As applicable, these sentences included the seizure of any instruments used during the perpetration of the crime and the benefits therefrom, in addition to the confiscation of other belongings.

The strict imposition of the court’s decision and the speed of the process –by summary trial to shorten the proceedings– have by no means impaired the defendant’s legal rights and safeguards, Rodríguez González points out. No new legal norms are being implemented: we’re following the same legislation we used before the meteorological events.

Original: 
http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/2008/10/21/nacional/artic05.html

Cuba in Recovery, against Crime

Havana, Sep 29 (Prensa Latina) Authorities in post-hurricane Cuba will continue acting energetically in accordance with the law, and courts will apply with the utmost severity the current Penal Code against those who commit any misdeed under the current special circumstances.

An information broadcast Monday by Granma daily reads that amid the present circumstances, no rise in the price of any basic product has been predicted, be it rationed, free, or offered at hard currency shops, despite the generalized hike in import costs.

Any attempt to break the law or social coexistence regulations will have a rapid, strong answer, as it has been done in the first proven cases of stockpiling, robbery, or illegal sale of food or construction materials.

Millions of Cubans have suffered the negative effects of Gustav and Ike, and the great majority understands time is needed to fully recover from the huge damage, it adds.

Providing food for the population is one of the country's top priorities, along with the recovery of housing, electricity and other essential services, the note affirms.

No efforts have been spare to cope with agricultural damage, and planned imports of cereals, grains, and other products are guaranteed.

There has been a strong answer for complaints and concerns about the stance of hoarders and speculators dealing in stolen products or acquired excessively on the retailer market, the text indicates.

Those who have violated the law alleging a specific personal need over collective interest have been severely punished, it explained.

La Habana, martes 21 de octubre de 2008. Año 12 / Número 294

Política de sanciones después de Gustav y Ike

CON APEGO A LA LEY

La palabra clave es atemperar, afirma el licenciado Eduardo Rodríguez González, vicepresidente de ese órgano judicial. Los tribunales están actuando con mayor severidad, pero no en todos los casos, si no contra quienes pretenden obtener provecho personal ilícito en el escenario particular creado en cada territorio al paso de los huracanes.

Al juzgar los hechos que revistan estas características, los jueces valoran la aplicación de la circunstancia agravante prevista en el artículo 53. e) del Código Penal: "Cometer el hecho aprovechando la circunstancia de una calamidad pública o de un peligro inminente de ella, u otra especial".

También tienen en cuenta si debe aplicarse la agravación extraordinaria que prevé el artículo 54 en su apartado 2, la cual permite al tribunal aumentar hasta la mitad el límite máximo de la sanción cuando concurran varias circunstancias agravantes o se manifiesta una de ellas de manera muy intensa.

Casi la totalidad de los delitos que poseen las características mencionadas, han sido juzgados hasta el momento —por su competencia— en los tribunales municipales. Las estadísticas muestran cómo en esa instancia judicial se están enfrentando con mayor severidad.

De enero a agosto del presente año, las condenas de privación de libertad se impusieron, como promedio, al 15% de los sancionados; el trabajo correccional con internamiento al 3%, sin internamiento al 14%, limitación de libertad al 6% y multas al 56%.

La situación es ahora diferente. Por ejemplo: entre el 23 de septiembre y el 3 de octubre, al 24,5% de los sancionados se les impuso privación de libertad; trabajo correccional con internamiento al 21,3%; sin internamiento al 40,1%; limitación de libertad al 3,4% y multas al 10%.

Según la Instrucción 188, la sanción de trabajo correccional deberá cumplirse, como regla general, en labores de fuerte impacto social, entre ellas: construcción, agricultura y servicios comunales.

A estas condenas, en los casos que corresponda, se les suma el comiso de los instrumentos empleados para cometer el delito y los bienes recibidos por él, o la confiscación de otras pertenencias.

El rigor con que deban aplicarse las decisiones judiciales y la celeridad con que se tramiten los procesos —mediante procedimientos abreviados y sumarios que acortan los términos—no significa menoscabar los derechos y las garantías del enjuiciado, subraya Rodríguez González. No se están empleando nuevas normativas jurídicas; estamos actuando en base a lo dispuesto en las legislaciones vigentes con anterioridad a los eventos meteorológicos.

http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/2008/10/21/nacional/artic05.html