ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, January 16, 2009

A Puerto Rican man who removed safety equipment from a LIAT plane on which he was a passenger was convicted by a magistrate here Thursday.

Adam Sauve was held by law enforcement officers at the V.C. Bird International Airport on Tuesday, 13th January 2009, after customs officials found three (3) life jackets in his bag.

Subsequent checks revealed that three (3) life jackets were missing from the LIAT aircraft on which he had arrived in Antigua.

Sauve who appeared in the All Saints Magistrate’s Court pleaded guilty to a charge of larceny and theft of aircraft safety equipment.

He was fined EC$1500.00 (US$575.00) which he was given 48 hours to pay or be imprisoned for six (6) months. The fine was paid.

“LIAT would like to remind passengers that it is an offence to tamper with, or to remove, the safety equipment found onboard our aircraft,” the airline’s Security Manager Tybrel Raymond said.

“We will adopt a zero-tolerance approach wherever breaches are discovered,” he added.

Contact:   Desmond Brown
Company Name:  LIAT (1974) Ltd.
Telephone Number:  1-268-764-5257
Email Address:  brownd@liatairline.com
Web site address:  www.liat.com