ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The Antigua and Barbuda Parliament has given the green light to legislation allowing for fines as high as one million Eastern Caribbean dollars for anyone or any company convicted of failing to provide electronic information requested by law enforcement during criminal investigations.

Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin, who piloted the Electronic Crimes Amendment Bill, said the new measures are intended to address longstanding difficulties investigators face in obtaining electronic records and data needed to solve crimes.

“The police would need evidence of pinging from telephones, different posts, et cetera, to get a trace of how crimes have been committed. But the service providers are refusing to do so,” Benjamin told legislators.