As reported by the Journal Juventud Rebelde, the Council of Ministers issued Decree No. 313, concerning the procedures to be followed with the goods confiscated from those persons who engage in criminal activities.
The confiscations are carried out in accordance with Law No. 62 of Penal Code, Law No. 5 of the Criminal Procedure Act, and the application of the decree laws on Forfeiture Obtained by undue enrichment, and confiscation related to drug traffic, corruption or other illegal actions.
The publication, available on the 21special edition of the Official Gazette of the Republic, dated Wednesday, also regulates “how deposited goods are transferred to the State once ready the confiscation or seizure, and rules for the deposit , disposition, preservation and return, when appropriate “.
Under Decree 313, the Council of Ministers meets a request from the State Council in the Decree-Law No. 310, amending the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Act, passed last May 29 and will come into force on next October 1st.
It also establishes the entities that will take care of the deposit, storage and disposal according to the nature of the goods.
So the Central Bank of Cuba will be in charge of “cash, securities, credit instruments and other documents representative of value, gold, silver or other precious metals, coins or not, or any goods made of precious metals, precious stones as well as jewelry and objects made of precious stones and metals or any of these materials alone. “
The Ministry of Interior will be in charge of “weapons, explosives, and pyrotechnic means, illicit drugs, safes, alarms and the like, as well as media technology relevant to national security and internal order.”
The Ministry of Energy and Mines will be responsible for “emergency power plants, gas cylinders, liquefied petroleum, fuels and lubricants, high voltage power lines and blocks of electrical transmission towers. “
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Communications will have the ‘computer and media, communications equipment and accessories, “and the Ministry of Culture,” cultural and art of heritage value or museum pieces or other cultural assets of the nation. “
The Ministry of Health will handle “medicinal products and substances for health ‘, the Ministry of Industries, of’ motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, wedges, parts and accessories, and industrial gas cylinders.”
For its part, the Ministry of Agriculture will take care of ‘animals, crops and forest, drawn carts, wagons, agricultural inputs and machinery and parts. ” And “other assets not specified above,” says the Decree 313, will be handled by the Ministry of Domestic Trade.
According to Decree-Law No. 310, of May 29, 2013, the monies resulting from the marketing of confiscated property in criminal proceedings is payable to the State Budget.
