Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Senior Counsel Anil Nandlall has stated that the sale of taser guns or taser equipment is completely prohibited under the law as it also falls under the Firearms Act.

A number of Chinese-owned businesses in Georgetown have been selling taser guns to any customer with a request for the equipment. In many of the cases, the item would not be advertised or placed openly in the business place. Customers would have to request a purchase of the equipment before it is sold to them.

On his Issues in the News programme last evening, the Attorney General pointed to the Firearms Act of Guyana and its definition of prohibited items under the Firearms and Ammunition Act.

“Taser guns or taser equipment, as they are normally referred to, are prohibited under the Firearms Act of Guyana. There is a definition of what is prohibited in terms of firearms and ammunition under the Firearms Act. And that prohibition is expressed at Section 32 of the Act. It shall not be lawful for any person without authority of the Minister to manufacture, sell, transfer, purchase, acquire, or have in his possession any firearm. And then it continues, A, any firearm, B, any weapon of whatever description designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas, or other thing, or any ammunition containing or designing or adapted to contain any such noxious thing. I am of the considered view that taser and taser weapons and taser guns fall into category B and or C of the prohibition stated in section 32 of the Firearms Act”, Mr. Nandlall explained.

A taser gun is defined as defined as a conducted energy device that temporarily incapacitates a person or animal by delivering a high voltage, low amperage electric shock. There is a fear that with it being sold over the counter with no checks and balances in place, it could land in the wrong hands and be used as a weapon by criminals.

The Attorney General reminded that Guyana had to enact amended legislation for the Police Force to begin using taser guns.

“So Taser was introduced in the law here. And the police was permitted to use Taser gun among these non-lethal weapons. The reasoning is, if the police had to get an amendment of the Police Act to use Taser guns and equipment listed here, it applies a for sure, it applies with greater force that the layman do not have the legal authority to possess such a weapon. And as the section says, let’s go back to the Firearms Act. The section says, it shall not be lawful for anyone to manufacture, sell, transfer, purchase, acquire, or have in his possession. So if you sell, you buy, you acquire, you have in your possession this prohibited weapon, then it’s an offense under the Act”, Nandlall said.

News Source understands that law enforcement agencies have received complaints about the open market sale of taser guns and will be making moves to address the situation.

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