(1) A person who

(a) serves as a seafarer on board a Ghanaian ship without being the holder of a valid certificate appropriate to the category in which the person is engaged to serve, or

(b) on that person's own accord or acting in the capacity of an agent, engages any other person as a seafarer without taking the necessary steps to ascertain whether that other person is the holder of an appropriate valid certificate, commits an offence under this Act and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding twelve months or to both the fine and the imprisonment.

(2) For the purpose of paragraph (b) of subsection (1) if it is established that a seafarer is

serving in a category without being the holder of a valid certificate appropriate to that category, the onus shall be on the person who engaged that seafarer to prove that the necessary steps were taken to ascertain that the seafarer was at the time when the seafarer was engaged, the holder of a valid certificate appropriate to the capacity in which the seafarer is engaged to serve.

(3) A person who

(a) makes or procures or assists in making a false representation for the purpose of obtaining for that person, or for any other person a certificate or a certified copy

of a certificate,

(b) forges, assists in forging or procures the forging of a certificate or a copy of a certificate,

(c) fraudulently alters or assists in the fraudulent alteration of a certificate or a copy of a certificate, or procures a certificate knowing it to be fraudulently altered,

(d) makes use of a certificate or a copy of a certificate which is forged, fraudulently altered, cancelled, or suspended or which the person is not entitled to use.

(e) lends the certificate of that person to, or allows it to be used by, any other person; or

(f) has possession of or makes a document so closely resembling a certificate as to be calculated to deceive, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years or to both the fine and the imprisonment.

(4) Any person who

(a) not being the holder of a valid certificate, or

(b) during a period when the certificate of the person is suspended or approval for the certificate is withdrawn, takes or uses a title, implying or calculated to lead another person to believe that that person is entitled to serve as a seafarer on a Ghanaian ship, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years or to both the fine and the imprisonment.

(5) A seafarer who fails to comply with a direction of the Authority to surrender the certificate of the seafarer without reasonable cause commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding twelve months or to both the fine and the imprisonment.