General provisions as to offences
142.—(1)  Any person who —
(a)signs any document lodged with the Authority under section 94, 95 or 119(1)(a); or
(b)provides the Authority with any information under or for the purposes of any other provision of this Act,
must use due care to secure that the document or information is not false in any material particular; and if the person does not use due care in this behalf and the document or information is false in a material particular, the person shall be guilty of an offence.
[16/2011; 11/2013]
(2)  Any person who is guilty of an offence under subsection (1) shall be liable on conviction —
(a)in the case of an individual, to a fine not exceeding $125,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both; or
(b)in any other case, to a fine not exceeding $250,000.
[11/2013]
(3)  Any person who is guilty of any breach of a duty imposed on the person by this Act or any direction issued by the Authority under section 154(4) shall be guilty of an offence and, where no penalty is expressly provided, shall be liable on conviction —
(a)in the case of an individual, to a fine not exceeding $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $5,000 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction; or
(b)in any other case, to a fine not exceeding $100,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $10,000 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction.
[11/2013]
(4)  Where an offence under this Act is committed by any corporation, any person who, at the time of the commission of the offence, is a director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of that corporation, or is purporting to act in that capacity, shall be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly unless the person proves that he or she exercised all such diligence to prevent the commission of the offence as he or she ought to have exercised, having regard to the nature of his or her functions in that capacity and to all the circumstances.
[23/2003]
(5)  Where an offence under this Act is committed by a corporation, being an offence consisting in the breach of a duty imposed only on corporations, any individual guilty of the offence (whether under subsection (4) or otherwise) shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years in addition to or in substitution for any fine.
[23/2003; 11/2013]
(6)  For the purpose of any proceedings under subsection (1)(a), a document purporting to be signed by any person is presumed to have been signed by the person, unless the contrary is proved.
(7)  The Authority may compound any offence under this Act which is prescribed as a compoundable offence by collecting from a person reasonably suspected of having committed the offence a sum of money not exceeding one half of the amount of the maximum fine that is prescribed for that offence.
[11/2013]
(8)  The Authority may compound any offence under this Act (including an offence under a provision that has been repealed) which —
(a)was compoundable at the time the offence was committed; but
(b)has ceased to be so compoundable,
by collecting from a person reasonably suspected of having committed the offence a sum of money not exceeding one half of the amount of the maximum fine prescribed for that offence at the time it was committed.
[11/2013]
(9)  On payment of the sum of money referred to in subsection (7) or (8), no further proceedings are to be taken against that person in respect of the offence.
[11/2013]
(10)  All sums collected by the Authority under subsection (7) or (8) must be paid into the Consolidated Fund.
[55
[11/2013]