Singapore legislation
Section 97A
Section 97A
Power to examine and secure attendance
(1)
Any duly authorised officer of the Authority may do all or any of the following for the purposes of investigating into any matter under this Act:
issue a written order requiring anyone within the limits of Singapore, who appears to be acquainted with any of the facts and circumstances of the matter, to attend before any duly authorised officer of the Authority;
examine orally any person who appears to be acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the matter, and require that person to answer questions relating to the matter and posed by any duly authorised officer of the Authority, whether or not —
that person or any other person is charged with an offence in connection with the matter; and
that person is to be called as a witness in any inquiry, trial or other proceeding in connection with the matter;
require any person to provide to any duly authorised officer of the Authority any information or document in the possession of that person in connection with the matter;
without payment, inspect, keep, copy or take extracts from any document mentioned in paragraph (c).
(2)
A person examined under subsection (1)(b) is bound to state truly what the person knows of the facts and circumstances concerning the matter in question, except that the person need not say anything that might expose the person to a criminal charge, penalty or forfeiture.
(3)
A statement made by any person examined under this section must —
be reduced to writing;
be read over to the person;
if the person does not understand English, be interpreted to the person in a language that the person understands; and
after correction, if necessary, be signed by the person.
(4)
If any person fails to attend as required by an order issued under subsection (1)(a), any duly authorised officer of the Authority may report such failure to the Magistrate who may then, in the Magistrate’s discretion, issue a warrant ordering the person to attend.
(5)
Any person who —
intentionally alters, suppresses or destroys any document that the person is required to provide under subsection (1); or
in providing any information required of the person under subsection (1), makes any statement that the person knows to be false in any material particular,shall be guilty of an offence.
(6)
The Chief Executive may authorise an appointed officer to exercise any of the powers of a duly authorised officer of the Authority under this section for the purposes of investigating any matter under regulations made under section 89C in which case, a reference to a duly authorised officer of the Authority is to be read as a reference to the appointed officer.