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Powers of Commission.
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17.—(1) The Commission shall have all such powers, rights, and privileges for enforcing the attendance of witnesses and examining them on oath (which any member of the Commission is hereby authorised to administer) or otherwise, and for compelling the production of documents as are vested in the High Court, or a judge thereof in respect of the trial of an action, and a summons signed by any one or more members of the Commission shall be equivalent to and have the like effect as a formal process issued by the High Court for enforcing the attendance of witnesses and compelling the production of documents.
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(2) If any person—
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(a) on being duly summoned as a witness before the Commission makes default in attending, or
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(b) being in attendance as a witness refuses to take an oath legally required by the Commission to be taken, or to produce any document in his power and control legally required by the Commission to be produced by him, or to answer any question to which the Commission may legally require an answer, or
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(c) does any other thing which would, if the Commission were a court of justice, having power to commit for contempt of court, be contempt of such court,
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the Commission may certify the offence of that person under their hands to the High Court and that court may, after such inquiry as it thinks proper to make, punish or take steps for the punishment of that person in like manner as if he had been guilty of contempt of the said court.
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(3) A witness before the Commission shall be entitled to the same immunities and privileges as if he were a witness before the High Court.
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