Powers of Auditor General

(1) In the exercise of his duties under this Act, the Auditor General may, 20 (a) call upon any public officer for any explanations and information he may require in order to enable him to discharge his duties; (b) authorize any public officer to conduct on his behalf any inquiry or examination of audit, and such officer shall report thereon to the (c) without payment of any fee, cause a search to be made in and extracts to be taken from any book, document, or record in any public office; (d) lay before the Attorney General a case in writing as to any question regarding the interpretation of any law concerning the powers of the Auditor General or the discharge of his duties, and the Attorney General shall give a written opinion upon such case. (2) In the exercise of his duties under this Act, the Auditor General or any person duly authorized thereto by him shall have access to all books, vouchers, documents, cash, stamps, securities, stores or other Government property of any kind whatsoever, including in electronic form, in the possession of any public officer. (3) In the exercise of his duties under this Act, the Auditor General shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority. (4) Every public officer who makes a default in the supply of information to the Auditor General, or willfully supplies false or misleading information, or otherwise willfully obstructs the Auditor General in the discharge of his or her duties under this Act, shall be subject to disciplinary action by the competent authority, without prejudice to any criminal liability, which may be incurred where the act or omission alleged is an offence under the Criminal Code, Cap. 101 of any other law. etc.