Singapore legislation
Section 29
Section 29
Monitoring powers of Registrar
(1)
The Registrar may by notice require the relevant person in the case of any political association —
to produce, for inspection by the Registrar or a person authorised by the Registrar, any books, documents or other records relating to the income and expenditure of the political association as the Registrar may reasonably require for the purposes of the carrying out of the Registrar’s function under this Act; or
to provide the Registrar, or a person authorised by the Registrar, with any information or explanation relating to the income and expenditure of the political association as the Registrar may reasonably so require,and to do so within a reasonable time as is specified in the notice.
(2)
The Registrar, or a person authorised by the Registrar, may —
make copies of, or records of any information contained in, any books, documents or other records produced under subsection (1)(a); or
make copies or records of any information or explanation provided under subsection (1)(b).
(3)
The Registrar or a person authorised in writing by the Registrar may, for the purposes of the carrying out of the Registrar’s functions, enter at any reasonable time premises occupied by a political association and having entered the premises may —
inspect any books, documents or other records relating to the income and expenditure of the political association; and
make copies of, or records of any information contained in, those books, documents or other records.
(4)
Where any records mentioned in subsection (1) or (3) are kept in electronic form, then —
the power of the Registrar under subsection (1) to require those records to be produced for inspection includes power to require a copy of the records to be made available for inspection in legible form (and subsection (2)(a) accordingly applies in relation to any copy so made available); and
the power of any person (called in this subsection the inspector) under subsection (3) to inspect those records includes power to require any person on the premises in question to give the inspector any assistance as the inspector may reasonably require to enable the inspector —
to inspect and make copies of the records in legible form or to make records of information contained in them; or
to inspect and check the operation of any computer, and any associated apparatus or material, that is or has been in use in connection with the keeping of the records.
(5)
A person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with any requirement imposed under this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.
(6)
A person who intentionally obstructs the Registrar or a person authorised as mentioned in subsection (3) in the carrying out of his or her functions under that subsection shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.
(7)
The powers conferred by virtue of subsection (1) apply in relation to candidates and election agents except that the powers may only be exercised by the Registrar (or, as the case may be, by a person authorised by the Registrar) for or in connection with obtaining any information or explanation relating to the income and expenditure of candidates and election agents in connection with their political activities as the Registrar reasonably requires for the purpose of monitoring compliance on the part of candidates or election agents with the requirements imposed by or by virtue of this Act.