BRIBERY

(1) Every provision of this Act which may be in conflict or inconsistent with anything in the Ceylon (Constitution) Order in Council, 1946,* shall for all purposes and in all respects be as valid and effectual as though that provision were in an Act for the amendment of that Order in Council enacted by Parliament after compliance with the requirement imposed by the proviso of subsection (4) of section 29 of that Order in Council.

(2) Where the provisions of this Act are in conflict or are inconsistent with any other written law, this Act shall prevail.

(1) The Bribery Commissioner, or any officer authorized in that behalf by and acting under the control of the Bribery Commissioner, is hereby empowered, notwithstanding anything in any other written law to the contrary, to direct and conduct the investigation of all allegations of bribery which are made to, or come to the knowledge of, the Bribery Commissioner:

Provided, however, that the Bribery Commissioner shall not, without the consent of the Speaker of Parliament, hold an investigation of an allegation of bribery against a Member of Parliament;

Provided, further, that the Bribery Commissioner shall not, without the consent of the Judicial Service Commission, hold an investigation of an allegation of bribery against a judicial officer.

(2) The Bribery Commissioner, or any officer authorized by the Bribery Commissioner under subsection (1), may, in making an investigation under this section, direct in writing any person who appears to be acquainted with any facts relevant to the matters under investigation-

(1) The Bribery Commissioner may from time to time in the course of an investigation of an allegation of bribery against any person or after the commencement of a prosecution of any person for bribery notwithstanding anything in any other written law to the contrary by written notice-

(2) The Bribery Commissioner shall treat all information obtained by him under subsection (1) with the strictest secrecy and shall not divulge such information to any person other than a court, a commission of inquiry, an accused person, any attorney- at-law or other person defending an accused person, or an officer engaged in an investigation under this Act or in any prosecution for bribery.

(3) In the course of an investigation of an allegation of bribery the Bribery Commissioner or any officer authorized by the Bribery Commissioner to conduct the investigation may, with such assistance as may be necessary, enter and search any department, office or establishment of the Government.

(4) The Bribery Commissioner, or any officer authorized by the Bribery Commissioner to direct and conduct an investigation, may apply to any public servant or any other person for assistance in the exercise of his powers or the discharge of his duties under this Act.

(5) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any written law, a certified copy of any sworn statement or of any document obtained by the Bribery Commissioner under subsection (1) shall be admissible in evidence for the purpose of any prosecution under this Act and the production of any such certified copy shall be sufficient proof of the fact of its execution and of the contents thereof.

(6) If in the course of a trial for an offence under this Act the presiding Judge or Magistrate or either party to the case is of opinion that any witness should be summoned to establish the execution or the contents of any document or a certified copy thereof which has been produced or furnished under paragraph (e) of subsection (I), such witness shall be so summoned by the court to give evidence in the same manner as any other witness for the prosecution.

(1) Such of the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act as are not excluded by subsection (2) or are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act shall apply to proceedings instituted in a court for offences under this Act.

(2) Section 306 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act shall not apply to proceedings in the Magistrate’s Court for offences under this Act.

(1) Every indictment or charge shall contain a list of the witnesses whom the prosecution intends to call at the trial and a list of all documents and things intended to be produced at such trial. Nothing in this subsection shall be deemed or construed to debar the prosecution, after notice to the accused, from calling any witness or producing any document or thing not specified in the list of witnesses or productions.

(2) To every indictment or charge shall be annexed a copy of the statements, if any, made by the accused and by every person who is intended to be called as a witness by the prosecution,

(3) If in the course of a trial for an offence under this Act any witness shall on any material point contradict either expressly or by necessary implication the statement previously given by him in the course of any investigation into such offence under this Act, it shall be lawful for the presiding Judge or Magistrate if he considers it safe and just in all the circumstances-

(4) At any trial under paragraph (b) of subsection (3) it shall be sufficient to prove that the accused made the contradictory statements alleged in the indictment or charge and it shall not be necessary to prove which of such statements is false.

(5) The presiding Judge may, if he considers it expedient, adjourn the trial of any witness under paragraph (b) of subsection (3) for such period as he may think fit and in any such case the accused shall be remanded until the conclusion of such trial. (*Section 9 is repealed by Act No. 9 of 1980.)

(a) by registered letter addressed and despatched by express post to the person to be summoned ; or

(b) in the case of a public servant, by registered letter addressed and despatched by express post to the head of the department, office or establishment in which such public servant is employed ; or

(c) in the case of any person who is employed under any other person, by registered letter addressed and despatched by express post to the employer ; or

(d) through any grama seva niladhari ; or

(e) in urgent cases by telegram.

(a) who offers any gratification to a judicial officer, or to a Member of Parliament, as an inducement or a reward for such officer’s or Member’s doing or forbearing to do any act in his judicial capacity or in his capacity as such Member, or

(b) who, being a judicial officer or a Member of Parliament, solicits or accepts any gratification as an inducement or a reward for his doing or forbearing to do any act in his judicial capacity or in his capacity as such Member,

(a) his interviewing a public servant on behalf of any person, or

(b) his appearing on behalf of any person before a public servant exercising judicial or quasi-judicial functions,

(a) who offers any gratification to any Police officer peace officer or other public servant, employed in any capacity for the prosecution, detection or punishment of offenders, or to an officer of a” court, as an inducement or a reward for such officer’s or servant’s interfering with the due administration of justice, or procuring or facilitating the commission of any offence, or protecting from detection or punishment the perpetrator of any offence, or abusing his official powers to the injury or detriment of any person, or

(b) who, being any such officer or servant, solicits or accepts any gratification as an inducement or a reward for such interfering, procuring, facilitating, protecting, or abusing as is referred to in paragraph (a) of this section,

(a) who offers any gratification to a public servant as an inducement or a reward for such public servant’s giving assistance or using influence in the promotion of the procuring of any contract with the Government for the performance of any work, the providing of any service, the doing of anything, or the supplying of any article, material or substance, or in the execution of any such contract, or in the payment of the price or consideration stipulated therein or of any subsidy payable in respect thereof, or

(b) who, being a public servant, solicits or accepts any gratification as an inducement or a reward for his giving assistance or using influence in the promotion of the procuring of any such contract as is referred to in paragraph (a) of this section, or in the execution of any such contract, or in the payment of the price or consideration stipulated therein or of any subsidy payable in respect thereof,

(a) who, with intent to obtain from the Government a contract for performing any work, providing any service, doing anything, or supplying any article, material or substance, offers any gratification to any person who has made a tender for such contract, as an inducement or a reward for his withdrawing such tender, or

(b) who solicits or accepts any gratification as an inducement or a reward for his withdrawing a tender made by him for such contract,

(a) who offers any gratification to a public servant as an inducement or a reward for that public servant’s performing or abstaining from performing any official act, or expediting, hindering or preventing the performance of any official act whether by that public servant or by any other public servant, or assisting, favouring, hindering or delaying any person in the transaction of any business with the Government, or

(b) who, being a public servant, solicits or accepts any gratification as an inducement or a reward for his performing or abstaining from performing any official act or for such expediting, delaying, hindering, preventing, assisting or favouring as is referred to in paragraph (a) of this section, or

(c) who, being a public servant solicits or accepts any gratification,

(a) who offers any gratification to any person as an inducement or a reward for-

(b) who solicits or accepts any gratification as an inducement or a reward for his doing any of the acts specified in sub-paragraphs (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii) of paragraph (a) of this section,

(a) who, while having dealings of any kind with the Government through with the any department, office or Government. establishment of the Government, offers any gratification to any public servant employed in that department, office or establishment, or

(b) who, within one year before or after his having dealings of any kind with the Government through any department, office or establishment of the Government, offers any gratification to any public servant employed in that department, office or establishment, or

(c) who, being a public servant, solicits or accepts any gratification the offer of which is an offence under this section,

shall be guilty of an offence punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term of not more than seven years and a fine not exceeding five thousand rupees :

(a) who offers any gratification to any member of a local authority, or of a scheduled institution, or of the governing body of a scheduled institution, as an inducement or a reward for-

(b) who offers any gratification to any officer or employee of any local authority, or of any scheduled institution, as an inducement or a reward for-

(c) who, being such member as is referred to in paragraph (a) of this section, solicits or accepts any gratification as an inducement or a reward for any such act, or any such abstaining, as is referred to in sub-paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) of that paragraph, or

(d) who being such officer or employee as is referred to in paragraph (A) of this section, solicits or accepts any gratification as an inducement or a reward for any such act, or any such abstaining, as is referred to in sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii) of that paragraph,

(a) who attempts by any threat, deceit, suppression of the truth or other unlawful means to influence any member of a local authority, or of a scheduled institution, or of the governing body of a scheduled institution in giving or withholding his vote in favour of or against any measure, motion, resolution or question submitted to any meeting, or in not attending any meeting, of such local authority, scheduled institution, or governing body or of any committee thereof, or

(b) who attempts by any such means as in the – last preceding paragraph mentioned to influence any member or any officer or employee of a local authority, or of a scheduled institution, or of the governing body of a scheduled institution to aid in procuring or preventing the passing of any vote or the granting of any contract or advantage in favour of any person, or to perform or abstain from performing, or to aid in procuring, expediting, delaying, hindering or preventing .the performance of, any official act,

(1) Where a person has or had acquired any property on or after March 1, 1954, and such property-

then, for the purposes of any prosecution under this section, it shall be deemed, until the contrary is proved by him, that such property is or was property which he has or had acquired by bribery or to which he has or had converted any property acquired by him by bribery.

(2) In subsection (1), ” income ” does not include income from bribery, and ” receipts ” do not include receipts from bribery.

(3) A person who is or had been the owner of any property which is deemed under subsection (1) to be property which he has or had acquired by bribery or to which he has or had converted any property acquired by him by bribery shall be guilty of an offence punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term of not more than seven years and a fine not exceeding five thousand rupees ;

Provided that where such property is or was money deposited to the credit of such persons account in any bank and he satisfies the court that such deposit has or had been made by any other person without his consent or knowledge, he shall not be guilty of an offences under the preceding provisions of this subsection.

(4) No prosecution for an offence under this section shall be instituted against any person unless the Bribery Commissioner has given such person an opportunity to show cause why he should not be prosecuted for such offence and he has failed to show cause or the cause shown by him is unsatisfactory in the opinion of such Commissioner.

(5) For the purposes of this section, where a spouse or unmarried child under the age of eighteen years of a person has or had acquired any property movable or immovable on or after March 1, 1954, it shall be presumed until the contrary is proved that such property was acquired by such person aforesaid and not by such spouse or unmarried child, as the case may be.

(6) In any prosecution for an offence under this section a certificate from the Chief Valuer with regard to the value of any immovable property or the cost of construction of any building on such property shall be sufficient proof of such value and cost of construction unless and until the contrary is proved.

In this subsection, ” Chief Valuer ” means the Chief Valuer of the Government, and includes any Senior Assistant Valuer, or Assistant Valuer of the Government Valuation Department.

(7) For the purpose of this section ” a person ” shall mean any person whomsoever, whether or not such person can be shown to have been concerned with any act referred to in section 18 or section 20 or whether or not he is a public servant within the meaning of this Act.

(1) A person who attempts to commit or to cause the commission of an offence under this Part of this Act and in such attempt does any act towards the commission of that offence shall be guilty of an offence and shall be tried in the same manner, and shall upon conviction be liable to the same punishment, as is prescribed by this Act for the first-mentioned offence.

(2) A person who abets an offence under this Part of this Act shall be guilty of an offence and shall be tried in the same manner, and shall upon conviction be liable to the same punishment, as is prescribed by this Act for the first-mentioned offence. In this subsection the expression ” abet ” shall have the same meaning as in sections 100 and 101 of the Penal Code.

(3) A person who conspires with any other person to commit an offence under this Part of this Act shall be guilty of an offence and shall be tried in the same manner and shall upon conviction be liable to the same punishment as is prescribed by this Act for the first-mentioned offence. In this subsection, the expression ” conspire ” shall have the same meaning as in section H3A of the Penal Code.

(1) Where, at the conclusion of the trial of a person charged with bribery before a court the presiding Judge or Magistrate is of the opinion that the complainant has wilfully and with intent to harm that person made a false, frivolous or groundless allegation against him, the presiding Judge or Magistrate shall certify that opinion under his hand and transmit the certificate together with the record of the proceedings to the Attorney-General.

(2) Where a certificate under subsection (1) is given in regard to an allegation of bribery made by any person, it shall not be necessary to obtain the sanction of the Attorney-General to institute civil proceedings against that person in respect of that allegation.

(1) A fine or a penalty imposed by a court on any person for bribery may be recovered as if the order imposing the fine or the penalty were a decree entered by the District Court in favour of the State and against that person.

(3) Where the person liable to pay the fine or penalty referred to in the preceding provisions of this section was a public servant on the date of commission of the offence for which the fine or penalty was imposed, then, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any other written law, any movable or immovable property acquired after that date by the spouse of, or a son or daughter maintained by, such person shall, in addition to the movable and immovable property of such person, be liable to be seized and sold for the recovery of the amount of such fine or penalty, if the property so acquired-

(a) he shall become incapable for a period of seven years from the date of such conviction or finding of being registered as an elector or of voting at any election under the Ceylon (Parliamentary Elections) Order in Council, 1946, or for a period of five years under the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, or of being elected or appointed as a Member of Parliament or as a member of a local authority, and, if at that date he has been elected or appointed as a Member of Parliament or member of a local authority, his election or appointment shall be vacated from that date;

(b) he shall be disqualified for all time from being employed as a public servant and from being elected or appointed to a scheduled institution or to the governing body of a scheduled institution –

(c) he shall, if he is a member of a scheduled institution or of the governing body of a scheduled institution, cease to be such member from the date of such conviction or finding ; and

(d) he shall, if he is a public servant, cease to be a public servant from the date of such conviction or finding and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any other written law, be deemed to have been dismissed on that date by the authority empowered by law to dismiss him.

(1) Where any officer, authorized by the Bribery Commissioner in that behalf under section 3, detects any person accepting, soliciting or offering an illegal gratification, such officer shall-

(2) Where a person is produced before any Magistrate under paragraph (b) of subsection (1), the Magistrate shall remand such person until the conclusion of the trial and such person shall not be admitted to bail except with the sanction in writing of the Attorney-General.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (2), in any proceeding under paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of subsection (1), where the Attorney-General informs the Magistrate that he does not propose to institute proceedings against the person in custody, such person shall be discharged forthwith.

(1) The President may appoint, by warrant under the Public Seal of the Republic, a commission of inquiry consisting to of one or more members to inquire into and report on any allegations of bribery-

(2) A warrant appointing a commission of inquiry under this Act shall contain such particulars as are required by subsection (2) of section 2 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, to be set out in a warrant issued under that Act.(*Section 31 is repealed by Act No. 9 of 1980.)

(1) A commission of inquiry shall, in addition to the powers under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, have-

(2) A warrant of arrest issued by a commission of inquiry-

(3) A commission of inquiry shall treat all information obtained by it under paragraph (d) of subsection (1) with the strictest secrecy and shall not divulge such information to any person other than the Bribery Commissioner, the person in respect of whom the inquiry is held, or any attorney-at-law appearing for that person.

(1) A commission of inquiry may cause the evidence given before it to be taken down in such language as it may deem proper.

(2) Where any evidence a given before a commission of inquiry in a language which any member of the commission does not understand, it shall be interpreted into a language understood by that member.

(1) Every offence of contempt committed against or in disrespect of the authority of a commission of inquiry shall be communicated to the President of the Court of Appeal by letter under the hand of the chairman of the commission or, where the commission consists of a sole commissioner, under the hand of such commissioner.

(2) The President of the Court of Appeal shall, upon his receiving from a commission of inquiry a communication under subsection (1), issue a rule nisi for contempt of court on the person named in that communication, as having committed the offence of contempt against or in disrespect of the authority of that commission.

(3) A person on whom a rule nisi is issued under subsection (2) shall be liable to be punished unless he shows cause to the satisfaction of the Court of Appeal.

(4) In any proceedings against any person for the offence of contempt committed against or in disrespect of the authority of a commission of inquiry, no member of that commission shall be liable to be summoned as a witness by that person, but the Court of Appeal may, if that court considers it necessary to do so, examine a member of that commission.

(1) The President shall order the publication of the report of a commission of inquiry if in his opinion the public interest will not suffer by such publication.

(2) Where the President decides not to publish the report of a commission of inquiry on the ground that the public interest will suffer by its publication, he shall, on being requested so to do by a resolution passed by Parliament, order the publication of such report.

(1) Where a commission of inquiry finds that any person is guilty of bribery by having accepted a gratification-

(2) If a person fails to pay the sum directed by the Attorney-General under subsection (1) to be paid, the Attorney-General may apply to the High Court for an order, and the High Court shall upon such application make an order, for the payment of that sum by that person, and, if that person fails to pay that sum within the time allowed by the order, that sum may be recovered in like manner as if the order were a decree entered by a District Court in favour of the State and against that person.

(3) If the person liable to pay the sum referred to in subsection (2) was a public servant on the date of his acceptance of the gratification, the provisions of subsection (3) of section 28 shall, for the purposes of the recovery of that sum, apply in like manner as if that sum were a penalty imposed by the High Court under section 26.

(4) In the proceedings in the High Court for the recovery of the sum referred to in subsection (2), it shall not be competent for that court or for anyone to question the sum declared by the commission of inquiry to be the amount, or the value, of the gratification.

(a) wilfully neglects or omits to carry out any direction given to him under subsection (2) of section 3 by the Bribery Commissioner or by any officer empowered by that section to direct and conduct an investigation, or

(b) gives a false answer when questioned under that subsection, or

(c) makes a false statement in an affidavit submitted by him in compliance with a direction under that subsection,

(a) to a fine of not less than one hundred rupees and not more than .five hundred rupees or to imprisonment of either description for a period not exceeding six months or to both such fine and imprisonment; and

(b) to a fine of not less than one hundred rupees for every day during which the offence is continued after the date on which he is required to furnish the sworn statement.

(a) who, when requested under subsection (4) of section 4 to render to the Bribery Commissioner, or to any officer empowered by section 3 to direct and conduct an investigation, any assistance in the exercise of his powers or the discharge of his duties under this Act, wilfully neglects or omits to render that assistance, or

(b) who obstructs or resists the Bribery Commissioner, or any officer authorized by the Bribery Commissioner, in the exercise of the powers of entry and search under subsection (3) of section 4, or

(c) who obstructs or resists the execution of a search warrant issued under section 7,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall, upon summary trial and conviction by a Magistrate, be liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred rupees and, upon a second or subsequent conviction of an offence under this section, shall, in addition to such fine, be liable to rigorous imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year.

(1) A person who-

shall be guilty of an offence and shall, upon summary trial and conviction by a Magistrate, be liable to rigorous imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months and to a fine.

(2) Every court before which any person surrenders himself or is produced on arrest on an allegation that he has committed or has been concerned in committing or is suspected of having committed or to have been concerned in committing an offence under this section shall keep such person on remand until the conclusion of the trial except in exceptional circumstances where the court before which he surrenders himself or is produced may after recording its reasons therefor release him on bail.

(1) A person who directly or indirectly influences any member of a commission of inquiry or any officer appointed under this Act, in the performance of his duty, shall be guilty of an offence and shall, upon summary trial and conviction by a Magistrate, be liable to a fine of not less than two hundred rupees and not more than five hundred rupees.

(2) A person who directly or indirectly by words written or spoken or by any act threatens any member of a commission of 1965.] inquiry or any officer appointed under this Act, with any injury to his body, mind or reputation in order to deter him from the performance of his duty, shall be guilty of an offence and shall, upon summary trial and conviction by a Magistrate, be liable to a fine of not less than two hundred rupees and not more than five hundred rupees and, upon a second or subsequent conviction of an offence under this subsection shall, in addition to such fine, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year.

(3) A person who causes injury to the body, mind or reputation of a member of a commission of inquiry or of any officer appointed under this Act, in order to deter him from the performance of his duty shall, upon summary trial and conviction by a Magistrate, -be liable to rigorous imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months and-to a fine.

(1) A person who refuses or wilfully neglects or omits to carry out an order of a commission of inquiry or wilfully obstructs such commission shall be guilty of an offence and shall, upon summary trial and conviction by a Magistrate, be liable to rigorous imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine of not less than one hundred rupees and not more than five hundred rupees.

(2) A prosecution for an offence under subsection (1) may be instituted in such Magistrate’s Court as may be determined by the Attorney-General.

(1) Where the public and the press have been excluded from any proceedings of a commission of inquiry, no person shall print or publish those proceedings or any part thereof except with the permission of the commission given in writing under the hand of the chairman of the commission or, if the commission consists of a sole commissioner, under the hand of such commissioner.

(3)f No person shall, before the publication of the report of a commission of inquiry under the order of the President print or publish any part of such report or what purports to be a part or an excerpt of such report.

(4) A person who contravenes the provisions of any of the preceding subsections of this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall, upon summary trial and conviction by a Magistrate, be liable to a fine of not less than two hundred rupees and not more than five hundred rupees and, upon a second or subsequent conviction of an offence under this subsection, shall, in addition to such fine, be liable to rigorous imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year.(* Section 76 is repealed by Ad No. 2 of 1965. Subsection (2) is repealed by Act No. 2 of 1965.)

(1) No Magistrate’s Court shall entertain any prosecution for an offence under this Act except by or with the written sanction of the Bribery Commissioner or an officer authorized by him in that behalf.

(2) The proceedings in a court for bribery shall be taken before any other business of that court unless special circumstances of urgency in such other business render it impossible to do so.

(3) Upon application made in that behalf by the Attorney-General or any officer authorized by him, the whole or any part of the proceedings in any court for bribery may be held in camera.

(6)f Nothing contained in the report of a commission of inquiry published under the order of the President shall be made the ground of an action for defamation, and no court shall entertain an action for defamation based on anything contained in any such report.(Subsections (4) and (5) are repealed by Law No. 38 of 1974.)

(1) In any proceedings for bribery before a court or commission of inquiry, the giver of a gratification shall be a competent witness against the person accused of taking the gratification and shall not be regarded as an accomplice, and the decision or finding of the court or commission shall not be illegal merely because it proceeds upon the uncorroborated testimony of such giver.

(2) In any proceedings against any person under this Act, the spouse of that person shall be a competent witness.

(1) If any person, in the course of an investigation of an allegation of bribery against him or in the course of any proceedings against him for bribery, is preparing or about to leave Sri Lanka, the Bribery Commissioner . or any officer authorized in that behalf by the Bribery Commissioner may apply to any Magistrate for an order requiring such person to furnish bail in such sum as the Magistrate may deem reasonable.

(2) If a person ordered to furnish bail under subsection (1) fails to do so, he shall be remanded to the custody of the Fiscal till such bail is furnished or till such time as the Bribery Commissioner may determine.

(1) At any time before the conclusion of the trial of a person charged with bribery, the Attorney-General in consultation with the Bribery Commissioner may, with the view of obtaining at the trial the evidence of any person supposed to have been directly or indirectly concerned in or privy to the offence, tender, or by writing under his hand authorize any Magistrate named by him to tender, a pardon to such person on condition of his making a full and true disclosure of the whole of the circumstances within his knowledge relating to the offence and to every other person concerned whether as principal or as abettor in the commission thereof.

(2) The Magistrate shall record in the manner prescribed by the Code of Criminal Procedure Act the evidence on oath of every person accepting a pardon under subsection (1) and transmit the record to the Attorney-General,

(a) a person solicits a gratification if he, or any other person acting with his knowledge or consent, directly or indirectly demands, invites, asks for, or indicates willingness to receive, any gratification, whether for the first-mentioned person or for any other person, and

(b) a person accepts a gratification if he, or any other person acting with his knowledge or consent, directly or indirectly takes, receives or obtains, or agrees to take, receive or obtain any gratification, whether for the first-mentioned person or for any other person,

(a) money or any gift, loan, fee, reward, commission, valuable security or other property or interest in property of any description, whether movable or immovable,

(b) any office, employment or contract,

(c) any payment, release, discharge or liquidation of any loan, obligation or other liability whatsoever, whether in whole or in part,

(d) any other service, favour or advantage of any description whatsoever including protection from any penalty or disability incurred or apprehended or from any action or proceedings of a disciplinary or penal nature, whether or not already instituted, and including the exercise or the forbearance from the exercise of any right or any official power or duty, and

(e) any offer, undertaking or promise of any gratification within the meaning of the preceding paragraphs (a), (b), (c)and{d);

(a) a committee of any such Council, and

(b) a committee appointed by an Urban Council under section 29 of the Urban Councils Ordinance, or by a Town Council under section 28 of the Town Councils Ordinance ;

(a) in which any such board, institution, corporation or other body holds, or

(b) in which more than one such board, institution or other body, in the aggregate, hold,