Singapore legislation
Section 152
Section 152
Investigation by Authority
(1)
The Authority may conduct such investigation as it considers necessary or expedient for any of the following purposes:
to exercise any of its powers or to perform any of its functions and duties under this Act;
to ensure compliance with this Act or any written direction issued under this Act;
to investigate an alleged or suspected contravention of any provision of this Act or any written direction issued under this Act.
(2)
The Authority may exercise any of its powers under this Division for the purposes of conducting an investigation under subsection (1) despite the provisions of any prescribed written law or any requirement imposed thereunder or any rule of law.
(3)
A requirement imposed by the Authority in the exercise of its powers under this Division has effect despite any obligations as to secrecy or other restrictions upon the disclosure of information imposed by any prescribed written law or any requirement imposed thereunder, any rule of law, any contract or any rule of professional conduct.
(4)
Any person who complies with a requirement imposed by the Authority in the exercise of its powers under this Division is not treated as being in breach of any restriction upon the disclosure of information or thing imposed by any prescribed written law or any requirement imposed thereunder, any rule of law, any contract or any rule of professional conduct.
(5)
No civil or criminal action, other than proceedings for an offence under section 162 or 168, shall lie against any person —
for giving assistance to the Authority, including answering questions, if the person had given the assistance or answered the questions in good faith in compliance with a requirement imposed under this Division;
for providing information or producing books to the Authority if the person had provided the information or produced the books in good faith in compliance with a requirement imposed by the Authority under this Division; or
for doing or omitting to do any act, if the person had done or omitted to do the act in good faith and as a result of complying with a requirement imposed by the Authority under this Division.
(6)
In this section, “requirement imposed by the Authority” includes a requirement imposed by an investigator under Subdivision (2) or (3).