NMSA aims to address maritime related offences - Papua New Guinea National Maritime Safety Authority
The National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA) will host a workshop aimed at ensuring all maritime related offences are addressed properly through the judiciary system.
The three-day workshop will be held in Kokopo for the New Guinea Islands Region is the second of its kind. Initially, the first workshop was held in Lae last year whereby police personnel from the Criminal Investigation and Police Prosecution Division including representations from the magisterial services and relevant government officers.
NMSA being the government statutory organisation regulating maritime safety throughout the territorial waters of PNG has limitations on prosecuting powers. Therefore, the need for coordination is imperative to ensure the Authority’s responsibilities in ensuring an effective network of Aids to Navigation is maintained without being vandalised consistently.
The workshop will seek to understand the processes required to make sure that the investigations leading to prosecutions are successful. But in addition to this, make awareness to the Police that their commitment in assisting the NMSA will help to mitigate recurrences of these offences and sent messages that these infrastructure are indeed protected under specific laws.
General Manager/CEO, Paul M. Unas said this workshop will complement NMSA’s efforts to create awareness and educate relevant government agencies about promoting the importance of maritime safety for people who rely on the sea for their livelihood and sustenance.
The workshop will be held at the Rapopo Plantation Resort from 20 to 22 August 2018. The target stakeholders are Police Crime Investigation Division (CID) and Police Prosecution including the Magisterial Services represented by the Senior Provincial Magistrates (SPMs) from the five NGI Provinces.
It is anticipated that after the completion of the workshop, the participants should be aware of the relevant Legislations protecting the public transport infrastructures and be able to prosecute offenders under the required sections of the Acts in place.