16. All members, officers and employees of the Council including inspectors appointed under section 45 shall, in the performance of their functions and duties under this Act, be deemed to be —
(a)
public servants for the purposes of the Penal Code (Cap. 224); and
(b)
public officers for the purposes of the Financial Procedure Act (Cap. 109) and section 20 of that Act shall apply to such persons notwithstanding that they are not or were not in the employment of the Government.