The attempt is punishable. Article 245: Anyone who buys or sells a vote shall be punished by imprisonment of three months to one year and a fine of twice the value of the things received or promised. Article 246: Criminal and civil proceedings for the sanctioning of the offenses referred to in this section shall be barred after three months, beginning with the month in which the results of the election were declared. In no case shall a conviction have the effect of nullifying an election that has been declared valid by the competent authorities or that has become final as a result of the absence of any regular protest made within the time limits laid down by the laws and regulations on the said election. Section 2: Offenses against freedom Article 247: Any public official, as defined under article 254, who orders or performs any arbitrary act or act that infringes on individual freedom, civil rights or the Constitution, shall be punished by imprisonment of three months to one year. If the acts mentioned in the first paragraph have been ordered by a member of the Government, he shall be punished by imprisonment of six months to two years. The persons referred to in this article shall benefit from the exculpatory excuse if they can prove: 1° that their good faith has been deceived; 2° that they have taken all useful measures to stop the act or to report the offender. Article 248: If the act violating the Constitution is performed with the forged signature of a member of the Government or of a public official within the meaning of Article 254, the offender and anyone who knowingly makes use of the forgery shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of five to twenty years. Article 249: Those who, being in charge of the administrative or judicial police, deny or neglect to comply with an investigation to establish illegal and arbitrary detentions either in prisons or in any other place and who do not prove having reported them to the higher authority, shall be punished by imprisonment of three months to one year. Article 250: Shall be punished by six months to two years correctional institution agents who: 1° admit a person into custody without a warrant or judgment or in the case of deportation or extradition without an order from a legitimate authority 2° detain a person beyond the date of his release; 3° refuse to bring a detainee before the competent authorities