Singapore legislation
Section 30
Section 30
False information and obstruction of performance of official duties
(1)
If —
a person provides a document or record or gives information (whether orally or in writing) to an investigator;
the document or record is provided, or the statement is made or the information is given, for or in connection with any purpose under this Act or its subsidiary legislation;
the document, record, statement or information is false or misleading, or the statement or information omits any matter or thing without which the statement or information (as the case may be) is misleading; and
the person knows, or ought reasonably to know, that the document or record is false or misleading, or that the statement or information is as described in paragraph (c),the person shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
(2)
Subsection (1) does not apply if the document, record, statement or information is not false or misleading in a material particular, or if the statement or information does not omit any matter or thing without which the statement or information (as the case may be) is misleading in a material particular.
(3)
A person who knowingly obstructs or prevents, or attempts to obstruct or prevent, an investigator in the discharge of the investigator’s powers or duties under this Act or its subsidiary legislation shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
(4)
A person —
who intentionally alters, suppresses or destroys any document, record or information which the person has been required by or under section 29(2)(k) or (3)(a) to provide; or
who, in providing any document, record or information required by or under section 29(2)(k) or (3)(a), makes any statement which the person knows or ought reasonably to know that, or is reckless as to whether, it is false or misleading in a material particular,shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
(5)
A person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to do anything required of the person under section 29(2)(k) or (3)(a) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
(6)
To avoid doubt, for the purposes of subsection (5), it is a reasonable excuse for a person to refuse or fail to produce any document or record, provide any information or answer any question if doing so might tend to incriminate that person.