Review of complaints
29.—(1)  Subject to subsection (3), the Board shall, upon receiving any complaint under section 28, refer the complaint to the Registrar for review.
(2)  The Board may also, on its own motion, refer any information concerning any improper or dishonourable act or conduct of a registered professional engineer to the Registrar for review.
(3)  The Board need not refer any complaint or information to the Registrar for review where the complaint or information relates to any matter set out in section 17B(2), and in such a case, the Board may take such action as it thinks fit under that section.
(4)  The Registrar —
(a)shall review the complaint or information referred to him for the purpose of determining if there are sufficient merits therein to warrant the institution of disciplinary proceedings under this Part against the registered professional engineer concerned; and
(b)may, for the purpose of conducting such review, enlist the assistance of any registered professional engineer, allied professional or lay person on the Investigation Panel.
(5)  In conducting a review under this section, the Registrar may require the complainant (if any) or the registered professional engineer concerned to answer any question or to furnish any document or information that the Registrar considers relevant for the purpose of the review.
(6)  On the completion of a review under this section, the Registrar shall —
(a)dismiss the complaint or information, if he finds that the complaint is frivolous, vexatious, misconceived or without merits, or that the information is unsubstantiated;
(b)in a case where the complaint or information relates to the conviction (whether in Singapore or elsewhere) of the registered professional engineer of an offence that —
(i)involves fraud or dishonesty; or
(ii)implies a defect in character which makes the registered professional engineer unfit for his profession,
recommend to the Board to refer the matter to a Disciplinary Committee for a formal inquiry; and
(c)in any other case, recommend to the Board to refer the matter to an Investigation Committee for an inquiry.
(7)  The Board may, upon accepting the recommendation of the Registrar under subsection (6)(b) or (c), appoint an Investigation Committee or a Disciplinary Committee, as appropriate, and refer the matter thereto for an inquiry or a formal inquiry, as the case may be.