§ 24 — Immediate suspension of licence or application of class licence

24.—(1) This section applies if —(a)

a licensee or class licensee is subject to criminal proceedings in respect of —(i)

an offence under this Act;

(ii)

an offence, whether in Singapore or elsewhere, involving dishonesty or the conviction for which involved a finding that the licensee or class licensee (as the case may be) had acted dishonestly; or

(iii)

an offence specified in the Second Schedule; and

(b)

the Licensing Officer is of the opinion that it is undesirable in the public interest for the licensee to carry on a debt collection business or the class licensee to carry out any debt collection activity mentioned in section 6(2), as the case may be,

and this section applies despite section 23.

(2) The Licensing Officer may (without compensation) —(a)

in the case of a licensee — serve on the licensee a notice of immediate suspension of the licensee’s licence; or

(b)

in the case of a class licensee — serve on the class licensee a notice of immediate suspension of application of the relevant class licence with respect to the class licensee,

which takes immediate effect and remains in force until the Licensing Officer makes an order under subsection (5)(a) or any appeal to the Minister under section 37 against an order under subsection (5)(b) is determined.

(3) The licensee or class licensee must, upon a notice being served under subsection (2) but subject to subsection (5), immediately cease to carry on the debt collection business or carry out the debt collection activity mentioned in section 6(2), as the case may be.

(4) A licensee or class licensee who is served with a notice under subsection (2) may, within 14 days after being served with the notice, apply to the Licensing Officer to review his or her decision under subsection (5).

(5) The Licensing Officer may, on reviewing his or her decision, by order —(a)

rescind the immediate suspension of the licensee’s licence or the immediate suspension of application of the class licence with respect to the class licensee; or

(b)

refuse to rescind the immediate suspension of the licensee’s licence or the immediate suspension of application of the class licence with respect to the class licensee.

—(1) This section applies if —(a)

a licensee or class licensee is subject to criminal proceedings in respect of —(i)

an offence under this Act;

(ii)

an offence, whether in Singapore or elsewhere, involving dishonesty or the conviction for which involved a finding that the licensee or class licensee (as the case may be) had acted dishonestly; or

(iii)

an offence specified in the Second Schedule; and

(b)

the Licensing Officer is of the opinion that it is undesirable in the public interest for the licensee to carry on a debt collection business or the class licensee to carry out any debt collection activity mentioned in section 6(2), as the case may be,

and this section applies despite section 23.

(2) The Licensing Officer may (without compensation) —(a)

in the case of a licensee — serve on the licensee a notice of immediate suspension of the licensee’s licence; or

(b)

in the case of a class licensee — serve on the class licensee a notice of immediate suspension of application of the relevant class licence with respect to the class licensee,

which takes immediate effect and remains in force until the Licensing Officer makes an order under subsection (5)(a) or any appeal to the Minister under section 37 against an order under subsection (5)(b) is determined.

(3) The licensee or class licensee must, upon a notice being served under subsection (2) but subject to subsection (5), immediately cease to carry on the debt collection business or carry out the debt collection activity mentioned in section 6(2), as the case may be.

(4) A licensee or class licensee who is served with a notice under subsection (2) may, within 14 days after being served with the notice, apply to the Licensing Officer to review his or her decision under subsection (5).

(5) The Licensing Officer may, on reviewing his or her decision, by order —(a)

rescind the immediate suspension of the licensee’s licence or the immediate suspension of application of the class licence with respect to the class licensee; or

(b)

refuse to rescind the immediate suspension of the licensee’s licence or the immediate suspension of application of the class licence with respect to the class licensee.