23Power to require persons to answer questions and produce documents

23 Power to require persons to answer questions and produce documents

(1) An authorised officer may, by notice signed by him or her, require a person whom he or she believes on reasonable grounds to be capable of giving information relevant to the operation of this Act in relation to a relevant activity in respect of a bountiable vessel, or in relation to an eligible research and development activity, to attend at a reasonable time and place specified in the notice and there to answer questions and to produce such accounts, books, documents and other records in relation to the activity as are referred to in the notice. (2) A notice under subsection (1) requiring a person to produce an account, book, document or record shall set out the effect of section 137.2 of the Criminal Code. (4) An authorised officer may make and retain copies of, or take and retain extracts from, any accounts, books, documents or other records produced under this section. (5) A person is not excused from answering a question or producing any accounts, books, documents or other records when required so to do under this section on the ground that the answer to the question, or the production of the accounts, books, documents or other records, might tend to incriminate the person or make the person liable to a penalty, but the answer of the person to any such question, the production by the person of any such account, book, document or other record, or any information or thing (including any account, book, document or other record) obtained as a direct or indirect consequence of the answer or the production, is not admissible in evidence against the person in criminal proceedings other than a prosecution for an offence against section 136.1, 137.1 or 137.2 of the Criminal Code that relates to this Act. (6) Where a director, servant or agent of a registered shipbuilder has failed to attend or to answer a question, or to produce any account, book, document or other record, when required so to do under this section, bounty is not payable to the shipbuilder, unless the Secretary otherwise directs in writing, until that person has attended, answered the question or produced the account, book, document or other record, as the case may be.