Section 177: Offences
346.If a person fails to comply with a requirement imposed under this Part without a reasonable excuse, the Authority or the Secretary of State may certify the fact to a court and the court may then deal with the person as if he were in contempt. A person who intentionally obstructs the exercise of any rights conferred by a warrant under the preceding section is guilty of a criminal offence and liable on summary conviction to a prison term of up to 3 months, or a fine up to level 5 on the standard scale (£5,000), or both.
347.A person who knowingly or recklessly provides false or misleading information in response to a requirement under this Part also commits an offence. On summary conviction he would be liable to a prison term of up to 6 months, or a fine up to the statutory maximum (£5,000), or both. On indictment he would be liable to a prison term of up to 2 years, or a fine, or both.
348.The same penalties would be available against anyone who knows or suspects that an investigation is likely to be conducted and falsifies, conceals, destroys or disposes of any document he knows or suspects to be relevant, or causes such a document to be falsified, concealed, destroyed or disposed of.
