PART XI
OFFENCES AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS
Director may cause persons to be photographed
170. —(1) Whenever the Director, after inquiry, has reason to believe that a breach of any of the provisions of this Part is about to be or has been committed by any person, the Director may direct that the person be photographed, and his finger impressions taken.
(2) The person so directed shall submit to be photographed and to have his finger impressions taken at such time and place and in such manner as the Director may think fit and in default of so doing shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
(3) Any person whose finger impressions and photograph have been taken under subsection (1) may apply on the expiry of 5 years from the date when such finger impressions and photograph were taken for the return of such finger impressions and photograph and the Director shall, unless the person has in such period of 5 years been convicted of any offence under this Part, deliver to the person the sheet upon which his finger impressions have been made together with the negative and all copies of any photograph taken of him, or, if no such application is received within 3 months from the period specified in this subsection, shall destroy such sheet and every such negative and photograph.
Power to summon and examine persons in certain circumstances
171. —(1) The Director may summon any person who he has reason to believe can give any information —
(a) regarding any woman or girl in respect of whom he has reasonable cause to believe that an offence under this Part is or may be committed or who he has reasonable cause to believe is or may be liable to be dealt with under section 156, 159 or 160; or
(b) regarding any place which he has reasonable cause to believe is being used as a brothel, a place of assignation or for the purpose of prostitution.
(2) The person so summoned shall attend at the time and place specified in the summons and shall produce all documents in his custody, possession or control relating to the woman or girl or place, as the case may be, and shall answer truthfully all questions which the Director may put to him respecting the woman or girl or place or in any way relating to the matter being inquired into, and where the inquiry relates to any woman or girl, the person shall also, if so required by the Director, produce the woman or girl, unless the person is able to satisfy the Director that he is unable to do so.
(3) The Director shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of the Penal Code (Cap. 224) and may administer oaths to and examine on oath any person summoned before him for the purposes of this Part.
(4) Any person summoned who fails to attend at the time and place specified in the summons or to do any of the other acts referred to in subsection (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
(5) The Director shall not be compellable in any judicial proceedings to answer any questions as to the grounds of his decision or belief in any case dealt with by him under this Part or as to anything which came to his knowledge in any inquiry made by him as Director.
(6) The Director may, during or after such inquiry as is referred to in subsection (2), arrest or cause to be arrested any person whom he has reasonable cause to believe to be liable to prosecution for any offence under this Part committed in respect of the woman or girl or place, and may seize and detain any article, book, document or account which he may have reason to believe to relate to such offence.
Record of evidence
172. The Director shall, at any inquiry held by him, take down and record the evidence taken by him upon such inquiry and of his decision thereon and shall furnish to the High Court a copy of such notes of evidence when called upon to do so by order of a Judge of the High Court suppressing in such copy the name of any person from whom information has been derived if he thinks it expedient to do so.
Power of search
173. —(1) The Director, or any person being either a person employed in the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, or a police officer not below the rank of sergeant or an officer of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, and being generally or specially authorised for that purpose in writing by the Director, may enter, and for that purpose use force if necessary, and search —
(a) any place where the Director, person or officer has reasonable cause to believe that an offence under this Part has been or is being committed; and
(b) any person in that place,
and may remove any woman or girl who is or may be liable to be dealt with under section 156, 159 or 160 to a place of safety to be there detained until her case is inquired into, except that no woman shall be searched other than by a woman.
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(2) Any person who refuses to be searched or refuses the Director, person or officer access to such place or otherwise obstructs or hinders him in effecting an entrance to such place or in removing any such woman or girl shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
Power of arrest and seizure
174. —(1) The Director, or any person being either a person employed in the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, or a police officer not below the rank of sergeant or an officer of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, and being generally or specially authorised for that purpose in writing by the Director, may arrest or cause to be arrested any person reasonably believed to be liable to prosecution for an offence under section 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147 or 148 and may seize, and for that purpose use force if necessary, and detain any article, book, document or account which he may have reason to believe to relate to such offence.
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(2) Where any person is arrested by the Director or any person mentioned in subsection (1), the Director or person making the arrest shall comply with sections 68 and 85 of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010 as if he were a police officer.
(3) Any person who obstructs or hinders the Director or any person mentioned in subsection (1) in the arrest of any such suspected person or in the seizure or detention of any such article, book, document or account shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
Presumption arising out of warrants
175. —(1) Every warrant or summons purporting to be issued in pursuance of this Part and to be under the hand and seal of the Director shall be received in evidence in any court without further proof and shall be prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated.
(2) All acts done in pursuance of such warrant or summons shall be deemed to have been authorised by law.
Appointment of officers
176. The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint such officers as he may think fit for the purposes of this Part and may by that notification confer upon those officers all or any of the powers conferred and duties imposed upon the Director by this Part.
Minister may establish places of safety
177. The Minister may, by order published in the Gazette, establish such places of safety as may be necessary for the purposes of this Part.