Disqualification or removal of director or executive officer of relevant financial institution
40.—(1)  Notwithstanding the provisions of any other written law —
(a)a relevant financial institution shall not, without the prior written consent of the Authority, permit a person to act as its executive officer; and
(b)a relevant financial institution which is established or incorporated in Singapore shall not, without the prior written consent of the Authority, permit a person to act as its director,
if the person —
(i)has been convicted, whether in Singapore or elsewhere, of an offence committed before, on or after the date of commencement of section 10 of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (Amendment) Act 2013, being an offence —
(A)involving fraud or dishonesty;
(B)the conviction for which involved a finding that he had acted fraudulently or dishonestly; or
(C)that is specified in the Third Schedule to the Registration of Criminals Act (Cap. 268);
(ii)is an undischarged bankrupt, whether in Singapore or elsewhere;
(iii)has had execution against him in respect of a judgment debt returned unsatisfied in whole or in part;
(iv)has, whether in Singapore or elsewhere, entered into a compromise or scheme of arrangement with his creditors, being a compromise or scheme of arrangement that is still in operation;
(v)has had a prohibition order under section 59 of the Financial Advisers Act (Cap. 110), section 35V of the Insurance Act (Cap. 142) or section 101A of the Securities and Futures Act (Cap. 289) made against him that remains in force; or
(vi)has been a director of, or directly concerned in the management of, a regulated financial institution, whether in Singapore or elsewhere —
(A)which is being or has been wound up by a court; or
(B)the approval, authorisation, designation, recognition, registration or licence of which has been withdrawn, cancelled or revoked by the Authority or, in the case of a regulated financial institution in a foreign country or territory, by the regulatory authority in that foreign country or territory.
(2)  Notwithstanding the provisions of any other written law, where the Authority is satisfied that a director of a relevant financial institution which is established or incorporated in Singapore, or an executive officer of a relevant financial institution —
(a)has wilfully contravened or wilfully caused the relevant financial institution to contravene any provision of this Act;
(b)has, without reasonable excuse, failed to secure the compliance of the relevant financial institution with this Act or any of the written laws set out in the Schedule; or
(c)has failed to discharge any of the duties of his office,
the Authority may, if it thinks it necessary in the public interest or for the protection of such persons as may be prescribed by regulations made under section 41 for the purposes of this subsection in relation to the relevant financial institution, by notice in writing to the relevant financial institution, direct the relevant financial institution to remove the director or executive officer, as the case may be, from his office or employment within such period as may be specified by the Authority in the notice, and the relevant financial institution shall comply with the notice.
[Act 31 of 2017 wef 04/06/2018]
(3)  Without prejudice to any other matter that the Authority may consider relevant, the Authority shall, when determining whether a director or an executive officer of a relevant financial institution has failed to discharge the duties of his office for the purposes of subsection (2)(c), have regard to such criteria as may be prescribed by regulations made under section 41.
[Act 31 of 2017 wef 04/06/2018]
(4)  Before directing a relevant financial institution to remove a person from his office or employment under subsection (2), the Authority shall —
(a)give the relevant financial institution and the person notice in writing of its intention to do so; and
(b)in the notice referred to in paragraph (a), call upon the relevant financial institution and the person to show cause, within such time as may be specified in the notice, why the person should not be removed.
(5)  If the relevant financial institution and the person referred to in subsection (4) —
(a)fail to show cause within the time specified under subsection (4)(b) or within such extended period of time as the Authority may allow; or
(b)fail to show sufficient cause,
the Authority may direct the relevant financial institution to remove the person under subsection (2).
(6)  Any relevant financial institution which, or any director or executive officer of a relevant financial institution who, is aggrieved by a direction of the Authority under subsection (2) may, within 30 days after receiving the direction, appeal in writing to the Minister, whose decision shall be final.
(7)  Any relevant financial institution which contravenes subsection (1) or fails to comply with a notice issued under subsection (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $250,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $25,000 for every day or part thereof during which the offence continues after conviction.
(8)  No criminal or civil liability shall be incurred by a relevant financial institution, or any person acting on behalf of the relevant financial institution, in respect of anything done (including any statement made) or omitted to be done with reasonable care and in good faith in the discharge or purported discharge of the obligations of the relevant financial institution under this section.
(9)  In this section, unless the context otherwise requires —
“regulated financial institution” means a person who carries on a business, the conduct of which is regulated or authorised by the Authority or, if it is carried on in Singapore, would be regulated or authorised by the Authority;
“regulatory authority”, in relation to a foreign country or territory, means an authority of the foreign country or territory exercising any function that corresponds to a regulatory function of the Authority under this Act or any of the written laws set out in the Schedule.
[Act 31 of 2017 wef 04/06/2018]
[Act 9 of 2013 wef 18/04/2013]