Page:Hostage-Taking Act 2010.pdf/8

8 :(f) require a bank to give copies of the accounts of the person or of the spouse, son or daughter of the person with the bank.

(2) Subject to subsection (3), every person to whom an order is given under subsection (1) shall, notwithstanding any obligation of secrecy imposed under any written law or rule of law, comply with the terms of the order within such time as may be specified therein.

(3) Subsection (2) does not apply to a person referred to in subsection (1)(e) if the Minister responsible for the ministry or department of the Government or for the statutory board (as the case may be) certifies that it would be against the interests of national security for the contents of the document to be disclosed.

(4) For the avoidance of doubt, any disclosure of the contents of a document to the Minister for the purposes of his certification under subsection (3) does not constitute a breach of any obligation of secrecy imposed under any written law or rule of law.

(5) Any person who contravenes subsection (2) 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) Any person who, in purported compliance with an order under subsection (1), furnishes any information, statement or document known to him to be false or misleading in a material particular, 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.

No prosecution without Public Prosecutor’s consent

9. A prosecution under this Act shall not be instituted except by or with the consent of the Public Prosecutor.

Protection of informers

10.—(1) Except as provided in subsection (3), no witness in any civil or criminal proceedings shall be obliged—
 * (a) to disclose the name or address of any informer who has given information with respect to an offence under this Act; or
 * (b) to answer any question if the answer thereto would lead, or would tend to lead, to the discovery of the name or address of any informer.