267.—(1) If any person, in providing any information or making any application under or for the purposes of any provision of this Order, makes any statement which he knows to be false in a material particular, or recklessly makes any statement which is false in a material particular, he shall be guilty of an offence and liable—
(a)on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;
(b)on conviction on indictment, to a fine.
(2) Proceedings for an offence under paragraph (1) shall not be instituted except by or with the consent of the relevant Department or the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland.
(3) In paragraph (2) “relevant Department” means—
(a)DOE, in the case of an offence alleged to have been committed in providing any information or making any application under or for the purposes of any of any provision in Articles 118 to 123;
(b)the Department in any other case.