Refusal to give evidence an offence
48.—(1) A person who appears before a committee of inquiry shall not, without lawful excuse, refuse to be sworn or to make an affirmation, or to produce any document or material, or to answer any question, which he is lawfully required to produce or answer.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
Giving false evidence an offence
49. Every person who wilfully gives false evidence when examined on oath or on affirmation before a committee of inquiry shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years or to both.
Evidence and procedure of committee of inquiry
50. Except as otherwise provided in this Act, a committee of inquiry shall not be bound by the rules of evidence and may act in such manner as the committee of inquiry thinks most expedient.
Admissibility of evidence
51. No statement made in the course of any inquiry and no report of a committee of inquiry shall be admissible as evidence in any proceedings other than proceedings, whether criminal or disciplinary, for an offence of giving or fabricating false evidence under any written law.
Proceedings not open to public
52.—(1) A committee of inquiry shall not sit in public.
(2) No person shall be allowed—
- (a) to attend the proceedings of a committee of inquiry; or
- (b) to address a committee of inquiry,
except with the permission of the chairman or if the Minister so directs.
