Page:Inquiries Act 2007.pdf/13

Rh : required of the witness if he were giving evidence in a court) or by statutory declaration;


 * (d) summon any person in Singapore to attend any meeting of the inquiry body to do all or any of the following:
 * (i) give evidence;
 * (ii) produce any document, record or other thing in his custody or under his control;
 * (e) issue a warrant of arrest to compel the attendance of any person who, after having been summoned to attend, fails to do so, and does not excuse such failure to the satisfaction of the inquiry body, and order him to pay all costs which may have been occasioned in compelling his attendance or by reason of his refusal to obey the summons; and
 * (f) require a witness to execute a bond binding himself to attend when called upon before the inquiry body to give evidence.

(3) The inquiry body shall have the powers of a judge for the purposes of—
 * (a) recovering any costs awarded;
 * (b) enforcing any forfeiture of a bond; or
 * (c) giving effect to any warrant of arrest.

(4) In addition to the powers described in sub-paragraph (3), a commission of inquiry shall have the powers of a Judge of the High Court for the purposes of giving effect to any order of imprisonment and enforcing the payment of any fine imposed.

(5) Notwithstanding any of the provisions of the Evidence Act (Cap. 97), the inquiry body may admit any evidence (whether written or oral) which might be inadmissible in civil or criminal proceedings.

(6) Subject to any direction contained in the terms of reference, the inquiry body may admit or exclude the public or the press from the proceedings or any part of the proceedings of the inquiry body.

(7) The inquiry body may award any person who has attended any proceedings of the inquiry body, including any interpreter appointed under paragraph 3, such sums as may be assessed in accordance with rules made under section 15(2)(b) or 16(2)(b) (as the case may be) to have been reasonably incurred by the person by reason of his attendance.

(8) Any sums awarded pursuant to sub-paragraph (7) shall be charged on and paid out of the Consolidated Fund.

Power to suspend inquiry

2.—(1) The chairman may at any time, with the consent of the appointing authority, issue a notice to suspend an inquiry for such period as appears to him to be necessary to allow for—