(3) Any police officer may arrest without warrant any person where he believes or suspects, on reasonable grounds, that the person is committing or has committed a service offence under subsection (1).
Connivance at desertion
35. Any person who—
- (a) being aware of the desertion or intended desertion of a police officer, does not without reasonable excuse inform his superior officer immediately; or
- (b) fails to take any steps in his power to cause the apprehension of a police officer whom he knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, to be a deserter,
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to any other punishment authorised by this Act.
Absence without leave
36.—(1) Any police officer who is absent without leave shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both, and to any other punishment authorised by this Act, and all arrears of pay due to him shall be forfeited.
(2) Any police officer is absent without leave if he—
- (a) without authority leaves his place of duty;
- (b) without authority is absent from his place of duty;
- (c) having been authorised to be absent from his place of duty, fails to return to his place of duty at the expiration of the period for which his absence was authorised; or
- (d) having been notified to report for duty, fails to report to his place of duty without lawful excuse.
(3) It shall be a defence for any person charged with an offence under this section to prove that his absence was a result of circumstances over which he had no control.
