Page:Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019.pdf/62

62 Appointment of authorised officers

55.—(1) The Minister may appoint such number of—
 * (a) police officers;
 * (b) public officers who are not police officers; and
 * (c) employees of any statutory board,

as the Minister considers appropriate to be authorised officers to administer this Act, either generally or for any particular provision.

(2) Every authorised officer is to exercise his or her powers under this Act subject to the general or special directions of the Minister.

(3) An authorised officer may be assisted by other individuals in the exercise of his or her powers under section 56 if that assistance is necessary and reasonable.

(4) The Minister must cause to be issued to each authorised officer mentioned in subsection (1)(b) or (c) an identification card, which must be carried at all times by the authorised officer when exercising powers under this Act.

(5) Every authorised officer acting under this Act is taken to be a public servant for the purposes of the Penal Code (Cap. 224).

Powers of enforcement

56. The Minister may, by order in writing, authorise an authorised officer to exercise all or any of the powers in relation to police investigations given by the Criminal Procedure Code as set out in the Schedule, and the provisions of that Code relating to such powers apply accordingly.

Composition of offences

57.—(1) An authorised officer, authorised in writing by the Minister, may compound any offence under this Act that is prescribed as a compoundable offence by collecting from a person reasonably suspected of having committed the offence a sum not exceeding one half of the amount of the maximum fine that is prescribed for the offence.