Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
5. Procedure and powers of special Judge
(1) A special Judge may take cognizance of
offences without the accused being committed to him for trial and, in trying
the accused persons, shall follow the procedure prescribed by the Code of
Criminal Procedure, 1973. for the trial of warrant cases by Magistrates.
(2) A special Judge may, with a view to
obtaining the evidence of any person supposed to have been directly or
indirectly concerned in or privy to, an offence, tender a pardon to such person
on condition of his making a full and true disclosure of the whole
circumstances within his knowledge. relating to the offence and to every other
person concerned, whether as principal or abettor, in the commission thereof
and any pardon so tendered shall, for the purposes of sub-sections (1) to (5)
of section 308 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, be deemed to have been
tendered under section 307 of that Code.
(3) Save as provided in sub-sections (1) or
sub-section (2), the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, shall,
so far as they are not inconsistent with this Act, apply to the proceedings
before a special Judge; and for the purposes of the said provisions, the Court
of the special Judge shall be deemed to be a Court of Session and the person
conducting a prosecution before a special Judge shall be deemed to be a public
prosecutor.
(4) In particular and without prejudice to the
generality of the provisions contained in sub-section (3), the provisions of
sections 326 and 475 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, shall, so for as
may be, apply to the proceedings before a special Judge and for the purposes of
the said provisions, a special Judge shall be deemed to be a Magistrate.
(5) A special Judge may pass upon any person
convicted by him any sentence authorized by law for the punishment of the offence
of which such person is convicted.
(6) A special Judge, while trying an offence
punishable under this Act, shall exercise all the powers and functions
exercisable by a District Judge under the Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance,
1944.