§ 23-3-304 - Penalties.

23-3-304. Penalties.

(a) Any person who knowingly does or causes to be done any act, matter, or thing prohibited or declared to be unlawful by this subchapter, or who knowingly omits or fails to do any act, matter, or thing required by this subchapter, or knowingly causes such an omission or failure, shall be punished upon conviction thereof by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) or by imprisonment for not more than two (2) years, or both. In addition, the violation shall be punishable upon conviction by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) for each day during which the offense occurs.

(b) Any person who knowingly violates any rule, regulation, restriction, condition, or order made or imposed by the Arkansas Public Service Commission under authority of this subchapter shall be guilty of a violation and, in addition to any other penalties provided by law, shall be punished upon conviction by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) for each day during which such an offense occurs.

(c) In addition, should any person consummate, by whatever means, the acquisition of any of the voting securities of a domestic public utility in violation of this subchapter, the commission upon finding that one (1) or more of the conditions set forth in 23-3-310 exist or will exist by virtue of the acquisition, may order the immediate divestiture of so much of the voting securities held by that person as, in the commission's opinion, is necessary to remove the domestic public utility from the control of that person.