Cap. 405 Art. 22Power to require airportmanagers promote searches at airport.

(1) For the purposes of this Part of this Act, the Minister to may give a direction in writing to the Head Aviation Security or to the manager of any airport in Malta requiring him to secure that such searches to which this article applies as are specified in the direction are carried out by other persons of such a description as may be specified in the direction.

(2) The searches to which this article applies, in relation to an airport, are searches -

(a) of the airport or any part of it;

(b) of any aircraft which at the time when the direction is given or at any subsequent time is in any part of the airport; and

(c) of persons or property (other than aircraft) which may at any such time be in any part of the airport.

(3) Where a direction given under this article to the manager of an airport is for the time being in force, then, if a member of the Armed Forces of Malta or of the Malta Police Force, or any other person specified in the direction in accordance with this article, has reasonable cause to suspect that an article to which article 28 applies is in, or may be brought into, any part of the airport, he may, by virtue of this subarticle and without a warrant, search any part of the airport or any aircraft, vehicle, goods or other moveable property of any description which, or any person who, is for the time being in any part of the airport, and for that purpose -

(a) may enter any building or works in the airport, or enter upon any land in the airport, if need be by force; and

(b) may stop any such aircraft, vehicle, goods, property or person and detain it or him for so long as may be necessary for that purpose.

(4) Any person who -

(a) refuses or fails to comply with a direction given to him under this article; or

(b) wilfully obstructs or impedes a person acting in the exercise of a power conferred on him by subarticle (3), shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable, on conviction, to a fine (multa) not exceeding two thousand and three hundred and twenty-nine euro and thirty-seven cents (2,329.37), or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both such fine and imprisonment.