Singapore legislation
Section 33
Section 33
Powers of enforcement
(1)
For the purposes of investigating any offence, or finding out whether the provisions of Part 5 or any condition of a certificate of exemption has been or is being contravened, a police officer or an authorised officer may do all or any of the following in relation to any person after declaring his or her office and, in the case of an authorised officer who is not a police officer, after producing his or her identification card on demand being made by that person:
require any person whom the police officer or authorised officer reasonably believes to have committed that offence or contravention to furnish evidence of the person’s identity;
require any person to furnish any information or produce any record, document or copy thereof in the possession of that person, and may, without giving any fee or reward, inspect, copy or take extracts from such record or document;
require, by written order, the attendance before the police officer or authorised officer of any person within the limits of Singapore who, from any information given, or otherwise obtained by the police officer or authorised officer, appears to be acquainted with the circumstances of the case;
examine orally any person who appears to be acquainted with the facts and circumstances of matters under this Act —
whether before or after that person or anyone else is charged with an offence, or whether proceedings under section 30 with a view to any regulatory sanction have started, in connection with the matter; and
whether or not that person is to be called as a witness in any inquiry or trial, or in proceedings under section 30 with a view to any regulatory sanction, in connection with the matter.
(2)
Any person examined under this section is bound to state truly what the person knows of the facts and circumstances concerning matters under this Act, except that the person need not say anything that might expose him or her 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 for the person in a language that he or she understands; and
after correction (if necessary), be signed by the person.
(4)
If any person fails to attend as required by an order under subsection (1)(c), the police officer or authorised officer may report such failure to a Magistrate who may then issue a warrant to secure the attendance of that person as required by the order.
(5)
Any person who —
wilfully mis-states or without lawful excuse refuses to give any information or produce any record, document or copy thereof required of the person by a police officer or an authorised officer under subsection (1); or
fails to comply with a lawful demand of a police officer or an authorised officer in the discharge by the police officer or authorised officer of the officer’s duties under this section,shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.
(6)
To avoid doubt, nothing in this section affects a police officer’s powers or duties under the Criminal Procedure Code 2010, and any other powers conferred on a police officer or an authorised officer under any other provision in this Act.