Clause 16

by deleting the definitions of “Authority” and “Director‑General” in section 2 and substituting the following definitions:“ “Board” means the National Parks Board established by the repealed National Parks Act (Cap. 198A, 1991 Ed.) as in force before 1 July 1996 and continued by section 3 of the National Parks Board Act (Cap. 198A);“Director-General” means the Director‑General, Wildlife Management appointed under section 4(1);”;

by repealing section 4 and substituting the following section:“Appointment of Director‑General and authorised officers4.—

The Board is responsible for the administration of this Act, and to that end, the Board must appoint an officer of the Board to be the Director‑General, Wildlife Management.(2) The Director‑General may, subject to the directions of the Board, appoint any of the following persons to be an authorised officer for the purpose of assisting the Director‑General in administering and carrying out the provisions of this Act or any other written law which confers powers on the Director‑General:

an employee of the Board;

an employee of another statutory authority;

a public officer;

an auxiliary police officer appointed under the Police Force Act (Cap. 235).(3) The Director-General may delegate the exercise of all or any of the powers conferred or duties imposed upon the Director‑General by any provision of this Act or any other written law (except the power of delegation conferred by this subsection) to an authorised officer; and any reference in the provision of this Act or any other written law to the Director‑General includes a reference to such an authorised officer.(4) Any delegation under subsection (3) may be general or in a particular case and may be subject to such conditions or limitations as set out in this Act or as the Board may specify.(5) The Director-General may, for any reason that appears to him to be sufficient, at any time revoke a person’s appointment as an authorised officer.(6) A person mentioned in subsection (2)(d) who is appointed as an authorised officer does not, by virtue only of the appointment, become an employee or agent of the Board.”;

by inserting, immediately after subsection (2) of section 12, the following subsections:“(3) Any person who, without reasonable excuse —

refuses or fails to comply with a request of a police officer, an officer of customs or an authorised officer under this section for the person’s name and residence in Singapore; or

in response to the request, gives a name that is false in a material particular, or gives an address other than the person’s full and correct residential address,shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000.(4) A police officer, an officer of customs or an authorised officer making an arrest under subsection (1) must not restrain the person arrested more than is necessary to prevent the person’s escape.(5) A person arrested under this section may be detained until his name and address are correctly ascertained except that a person so arrested must not be detained longer than is permitted by written law and is necessary for bringing him before a court unless the order of a court for his detention is obtained.”;

by inserting, immediately after section 12, the following sections:“Powers of examination12A.—

For the purpose of investigating any offence under this Act, the Director‑General or an authorised officer may —

examine orally any person supposed to be acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case; and

by written order require any person within the limits of Singapore, who appears to be acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case, to attend before the Director‑General or authorised officer.(2) The person mentioned in subsection (1)(a) is bound to state truly the facts and circumstances with which the person is acquainted concerning the case except only that the person may decline to make, with regard to any fact or circumstance, a statement which would have a tendency to expose the person to a criminal charge or to 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 in a language that the person understands; and

after correction (if necessary), be signed by the person.(4) If any person fails to attend before the Director‑General or an authorised officer as required by an order under subsection (1)(b), the Director‑General or authorised officer may report the failure to a Magistrate who may issue a warrant to secure the attendance of that person as required by the order.Powers to require information about contraventions12B.—

Where it appears to the Director‑General or an authorised officer that there may have been a contravention of any provision of this Act, the Director‑General or authorised officer may serve an information notice to require any person who appears to him to be acquainted with the circumstances of the case to furnish the Director‑General or authorised officer (as the case may be), within such time as may be specified in the notice, with information relating to that case in the possession or within the knowledge of that person.(2) An information notice under subsection (1) must be complied with by giving the required information in writing to the Director‑General or authorised officer, as the case may be.(3) Any person who fails to comply with any information notice under subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000.(4) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (3) to prove, on a balance of probabilities, that the person did not know and could not with reasonable diligence have ascertained, the information required in the information notice.(5) If any person —

makes any statement purporting to comply with a requirement of an information notice which the person knows to be false or misleading in a material particular; or

recklessly makes such a statement which is false or misleading in a material particular,the person shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000.”; and

by repealing section 14 and substituting the following section:“Fees, etc., payable to Board