Section 23
Special powers of investigation
of Prevention of Corruption Act
(1)
The Public Prosecutor or the Director, if satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that an offence under this Act has been committed by any person, may, for the purposes of an investigation into such offence, authorise in writing any Officer of the Bureau specified in such authorisation, to exercise the following powers on the production by him of the authorisation —
(a)
to investigate and inspect any share account, purchase account, club account, subscription account, investment account, trust account, mutual or trust fund account, expense account, bank account or other account of whatsoever kind or description, any safe-deposit box, and any banker’s books or company books, of or relating to any person named or otherwise identified in such authorisation;
(b)
to require from any person the production of any accounts, books, documents, safe-deposit box or other article of or relating to any person named or otherwise identified in such authorisation which may be required for the purpose of such investigation and the disclosure of all or any information relating thereto, and to take copies of such accounts and books or of any relevant entry therein.
(2)
Every authorisation given under subsection (1) shall be deemed also to authorise the Director, Deputy Director or Officer of the Bureau
Prevention of Corruption
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specified therein to require from any person information as to whether or not at any bank, company or other place there is any account, book, document, safe-deposit box or other article liable to investigation, inspection or production under such authorisation.
(3)
A requirement under subsection (2) shall be made in writing and any statement therein as to the existence of the appropriate authorisation under subsection (1) shall be accepted as true without further proof of the fact.
(4)
Any person who, having been lawfully required under this section to disclose any information or to produce any accounts, books, documents, safe-deposit box or other article to the Director, Deputy Director or an Officer of the Bureau authorised under subsection (1), shall, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law and any oath of secrecy to the contrary, comply with such requirement, and any such person who fails or neglects, without reasonable excuse, to do so, and any person who obstructs the Director, the Deputy Director or such Officer of the Bureau in the execution of the authorisation given under subsection (1), is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of $20,000 and imprisonment for one year.
(5)
Any person who falsely represents that an appropriate authorisation has been given under subsection (1), is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of $20,000 and imprisonment for one year.