Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999
16. Appointment of Adjudicating Authority
(1) For the purpose of adjudication under section 13, the
Central Government may, by an order published in the Official Gazette, appoint
as many officers of the Central Government as it may think fit, as the
Adjudicating Authorities for holding an inquiry in the manner prescribed after
giving the person alleged to have committed contravention under section 13,
against whom a complaint has been made under sub-section (2) (hereinafter in
this section referred to as the said person) a reasonable opportunity of
being heard for the purpose of imposing any penalty:
Provided that where the Adjudicating Authority is of
opinion that the said person is likely to abscond or is likely to evade in any
manner, the payment of penalty, if levied, it may direct the said person to
furnish a bond or guarantee for such amount and subject to such conditions as
it may deem fit.
(2) The Central Government shall, while appointing the
Adjudicating Authorities under sub-section (1), also specify in the order
published in the Official Gazette their respective jurisdiction.
(3) No Adjudicating Authority shall hold an enquiry under
sub-section (1) except upon a complaint in writing made by any officer
authorized by a general or special order by the Central Government.
(4) The said person may appear either in person or take the
assistance of a legal practitioner or a chartered accountant of his choice for
presenting his case before the Adjudicating Authority
(5) Every Adjudicating Authority shall have the same powers of a
civil court which are conferred on the Appellate Tribunal under sub-section (2)
of section 28 and;-
a. proceedings before
it shall be deemed to be judicial proceedings within the meaning of sections
193 and 228 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (45 of 1860);
b. shall be deemed to
be a civil court for the purposes of sections 345 and 346 of the Code of
Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974).
(6) Every Adjudicating Authority shall deal with the compliant
under sub-section (2) as expeditiously as possible and endeavor shall be made
to dispose off the complaint finally within one year from the date of receipt
of the complaint:
Provided that where the complaint cannot be disposed
off within the said period, the Adjudicating Authority shall record
periodically the reasons in writing for not disposing off the complaint within
the said period.