Cap. 529 Art. 15Offences.

(1) Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any of the provisions of this Act, or contravenes or fails to comply with any condition, any obligation, requirement, directive or order made or given under any of the provisions of this Act, shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) Any person who for the purposes of, or pursuant to, any of the provisions of this Act or of any rules or regulations made thereunder, or any condition, obligation, requirement, directive or order made or given as aforesaid, furnishes information or makes a statement which he knows to be inaccurate, false or misleading in any material respect, or recklessly furnishes information or makes a statement which is inaccurate, false or misleading in any material respect, shall be guilty of an offence.

(3) Any person who with intent to avoid detection of the commission of an offence under this Act removes, destroys, conceals or fraudulently alters any book, document or other paper, shall be guilty of an offence.

(4) Any person who intentionally obstructs a person exercising rights conferred by this Act shall be guilty of an offence.

(5) Any person who acts or purports to act as a company service provider in Malta without being authorised to do so by the Authority, when so required in terms of this Act, shall be guilty of an offence.

(6) Any person who is guilty of an offence under sub-articles (1), (2), (3), (4) and, or (5) and saving any higher punishment which may be provided under any other law, shall be liable, on conviction, to a fine (multa) not exceeding four hundred and sixty-six thousand euro (€466,000) or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding four years, or to both such fine and imprisonment.

(7) Where an offence in terms of sub-articles (1) to (5) is committed by a body or other association of persons, be it corporate or unincorporated, every person who at the time of the commission of the offence was a director, manager or other similar officer of such body or association, or was purporting to act in any such capacity, shall be guilty of that offence, unless he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge and that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.