Inquiry Commissions Ordinance
Chapter 52, 1955 Revised Edition
Commission
N 15
G.N. No. S 696/1959

REVISED EDITION 1990
( )
[2 April 1959]
ELIZABETH II, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of Her Other Realms and Territories QUEEN, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.
By His Excellency WILLIAM ALLMOND CODRINGTON GOODE, Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony of Singapore.
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Whereas it is provided by the Inquiry Commissions Ordinance that it shall be lawful for the Governor, whenever he shall deem it advisable, to issue a Commission appointing one or more Commissioners to enquire, inter alia into any matter in which an inquiry would, in the opinion of the Governor in Council, be for the public welfare:
And whereas the Governor in Council is of the opinion that an inquiry should forthwith be made by a Commissioner so appointed in accordance with the following terms of reference:
1.To ascertain whether or not there was an account of about $500,000 in September 1958 in the name of Mr. Chew Swee Kee in the first National City Bank of New York and if there was such an account what are the facts;
2.To ascertain and report whether enquiries into any such account were carried out by officers of the Income Tax Department, whether these enquiries were improperly stopped and whether there was any impropriety in the handling of this matter by any officer or officers of the Income Tax Department;
3.To investigate into and report on the circumstances in which particulars of file No. 47909/GS of the Income Tax Department became available to a person not entitled thereto:
Now, therefore, I, WILLIAM ALLMOND CODRINGTON GOODE, hereby appoint the Honourable Mr. Justice M. Buttrose to be a Commissioner and hereby authorise the said Commissioner to conduct such inquiry in the manner hereinafter directed:
1.I direct that the first sitting of the Commission shall take place in the Supreme Court, Singapore, on such date and at such hour as the Commissioner may designate.
2.I direct that the Commission shall normally hold its sittings in the Supreme Court, Singapore, but shall have power in the discretion of the Commissioner to adjourn to any suitable place to hear evidence or for any other purpose connected with its duties.
3.I direct that the Inquiry shall be held in public: Provided that the Commissioner may in his discretion direct that any evidence shall be heard in camera or otherwise recorded without being made available to the public.
4.I appoint Mr. S.H. Oh to be Secretary to the Commission and to attend the sittings thereof and generally to exercise the powers conferred and to carry out the duties imposed upon such Secretary as are referred to in section 6 of the said Inquiry Commissions Ordinance, and I authorise the said Secretary to employ such clerical or other assistance for the purposes of the Inquiry as the Commissioner may require. In case of necessity I also authorise the Commissioner to appoint any suitable person temporarily to act as Secretary to the Commission.
5.I direct the Commissioner of Police to detail police constables to attend upon the Commission for the purpose of preserving order during the proceedings, to serve summonses on witnesses or to perform such ministerial duties as the Commission shall direct.
6.Finally, I direct that the Commissioner after completing the Inquiry render to me his report and recommendations thereon.
Given at Singapore this 2nd day of April 1959.
By His Excellency’s Command,