POLICE INVESTIGATION
1. WHEN
DOES INVESTIGATION BEGIN?
1.1 Investigation begins before a charge is
brought against you, in order to determine if there is any or enough evidence
which can sustain the charge.
2. WHO
CAN INVESTIGATE YOU?
·
Police officers
·
Drug enforcement
officers
·
Anti-corruption
agency officers
·
Custom officers
·
Immigration
officers
3. WILL
YOU BE ARRESTED OR DETAINED DURING INVESTIGATION?
3.1
Any person who
has been accused or connected with or suspected of committing an offence may be
arrested by police. Where a seizable offence e.g.
murder, robbery or theft is suspected to have been committed, a police officer
may arrest the offender without warrant or order from the Public Prosecutor in
the course of investigation.
3.2
After your
arrest, you cannot be kept indefinitely in police custody pending police
investigation. You must be brought before a Magistrate to be charged within 24
hours of the arrest or where the police need more time for their investigation,
they must produce you before a Magistrate to request permission to detain you
further for a term not exceeding 15 days in a whole.
3.3
Where further
detention is unnecessary, you may be released on bail to ensure your appearance
in Court at an appointed date. Bail, however, is not available in certain cases
e.g. if you are charged with murder or criminal breach of trust.
3.4
The police may
also detain you up to 60 days on suspicion upon Magistrate satisfaction that
you may be subject fit and proper to be detained under the authority of the
Minister for up to 2 years each time.
4. ARE
YOU OBLIGED TO ANSWER POLICE QUESTIONS?
4.1 Where you have not been arrested but only
called by the police for questioning, you are bound to state the truth and
answer all questions put to you by the police investigating officers except
those which have a tendency to expose you to a criminal charge, penalty or
forfeiture (right from self-incrimination)
5. WHAT
SEARCH POWERS DO THE POLICE HAVE?
5.1 Persons having the power to arrest may
search any place entered by the person sought to be arrested and may effect an
entrance by force if refused entry. An arrested person may be searched and any
articles found which are reasonably believed to be evidence of the crime may be
detained until his released. Any offensive weapon found on the arrested person
may be seized. A person in lawful custody who is unable to give a reasonable
account of himself due to incapacity may be searched
to ascertain his name and address.
6. FOR
HOW LONG CAN A PERSON REMAIN IN POLICE CUSTODY?
6.1 A police officer who has taken a person
into police custody must be brought before a Magistrate without unnecessary
delay. Police detention of arrested person must not exceed 24 hours (excluding
the time taken for the journey from the place of arrest to the
THE END