CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND EVIDENCE ACT
(c) written notice of the time and place when the application for the warrant of further
retention of the seized article is to be made was timeously given to the owner or possessor thereof or other person mentioned in subsection (3).
(5) In an application for a warrant of further detention of a seized article the magistrate or
justice shall, if the owner or possessor thereof, or other person mentioned in subsection (1), is
present—
(a) him or her to make representations in person, in writing or through a legal practitioner,
in opposition to the application; and
(b) the applicant police officer to respond to any submissions made under paragraph (a);
but no postponement of the application shall be entertained, and no submissions shall be made
by either party except those concerning—
(c) the truth or otherwise of any statement referred to in subsection (4) (a), (b) or (c);
(d) any allegation by the applicant police officer that the notified party or the party who is
opposing the application is not entitled to the possession or ownership of the seized article by reason of not having a full receipt in relation thereto or for some other lawful
reason;
and the application must be determined on the same day on which it was made, whether the
notified person is present or not.
(6) The effect of—
(a) the issuance of a warrant of continued retention of a seized article is that the article
may be retained in custody by the police until the pertinent criminal proceedings have
been concluded, abandoned or discontinued and the seized article dealt with in accordance with this Part; or
(b) the refusal to issue a warrant of continued retention of the seized article is that it must
be returned without delay to the holder of the receipt issued in respect thereof, subject
to any directions the magistrate or justice may give for the preservation or safe custody
of the same until the expiry of a specified period or on the initiation of a prosecution in
connection therewith, whichever event happens earlier.
(7) Any holder of the receipt referred to in subsection (6)(b) who fails to comply with any
directions given to him or her for the preservation or safe custody of the article returned to him
or her until the expiry of a specified period or on the initiation of a prosecution in connection
therewith, whichever event happens earlier, shall be guilty of the crime of defeating or obstructing the course of justice contrary to section 184 of the Criminal Law Code and liable to the
penalties therefor.
[Section inserted by s. 21 of Act No. 2 of 2016]
58B Manner of service of notices for purposes of sections 58 and 58A
References to a police officer—
(a) issuing a notice of destruction or disposal of a seized article to the owner or possessor
thereof or other person to whom a full receipt was given in respect of its seizure for the
purpose of section 58(3)(a),
(b) notifying such owner, possessor or person for the purpose of section 58(3)(c);
(c) notifying such owner, possessor or person for the purpose of section 58(4),
(d) issuing a notice of continued retention of a seized article to the owner or possessor
thereof or other person to whom a full receipt was given in respect of its seizure for the
purpose of section 58A(1);
(e) notifying such owner, possessor or person for the purpose of section 58A(3);
are to be interpreted as requiring the police officer to deliver such notice to the owner, possessor or person concerned or his or her authorised representative in any of the following ways—
(f) by hand delivery to the owner, possessor, person representative concerned in person, or
to a responsible individual at the place of business or residential address of the owner,
possessor, person representative; or
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