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Friday, October 23, 1970
But persons bound by the secrecy provisions contained in the
Inland Revenue Ordinance, and legal advisers with regard to privileged
information, could not be required to comply with a notice under that clause.
Mr. Roberts said clause 14 would permit him to require information,
during any investigation or proceedings under the Bill, from a suspect or
from any other person who might be able to help, or who appeared to have
any information about the offence.
Under that clause, information could be required from the person
in charge of a public body, or a government department, other than the
Commissioner of Inland Revenue, and from managers of banks, in the form of
copies of the accounts of the person suspected, and of his spouse, parents,
and children.
Exercise Of Powers
The information required under this clause had to be set out in
the notice with some certainty, and the clause might not be used as a means
of authorising any general investigation of a resident's private affairs.
He realised the power conferred by the clause must be used with
"the greatest care," so either the Solicitor General, or he, would personally
exercise it, unless they found it had to be invoked so often they were unable
to continue to do so because of other commitments. In that event, it would
not be delegated to anyone below the rank of Principal Crown Counsel.
Mr. Roberts said the clause differed in one important respect from
the 1969 Bill in that a suspect would not now be guilty of an offence if he
failed to comply with a notice under the clause calling on him to supply
information.
/The effect