Power to obtain information

(1) Without prejudice to the powers of the supervisory authority under the Money Laundering and Terrorism (Prevention) Act, the Director may, by notice in writing, requireCAP. 104. (a) a person whose affairs are the subject of investigation whether in Belize or elsewhere, to furnish such information or produce such documents as may be required with respect to any matter relevant to such investigation; (b) a person, reporting entity, supervisory authority, law enforcement agency, public utility or domestic government agency who may have evidence relevant to a law enforcement investigation whether conducted in Belize of elsewhere, to furnish such information or produce such documents as may be required with respect to any matter relevant to such investigation; or (c) any public officer to furnish information or to produce any document in his custody or under his control. (2) The Director may take copies or extracts from any document produced under sub-section (1) and may require the person producing it to give any explanation relating to such document. (3) Where material to which an investigation relates consists of information stored in a computer, disc, cassette, or on microfilm, or preserved by any mechanical or electronic device, the request from the Director shall be deemed to require the person named therein to produce or give access to it in a form in which it can be taken away and in which it is visible and legible. (4) A person required to furnish information or to produce any specified documents or any documents of a specified class Financial Intelligence Unit[CAP. 138:02 13 shall not, without reasonable excuse, fail to furnish information or produce a document or class of documents. (5) It shall be a reasonable excuse, for the purposes of sub- section (4), for a person to refuse or fail to furnish information or to produce a document or a class of documents that he is required to furnish or produce, where the furnishing of the information or the production of the document or class of documents might tend to incriminate him. (6) Any person who contravenes sub-section (4) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or to both such fine and imprisonment. (7) This section and the next following section 10 shall have effect notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any other law.