about to be committed, may grant a search warrant authorising any police officer named therein, or authorising if so requested any police officer accompanied by an officer of the armed forces deputed by the officer in command of such armed forces, to enter at any time any premises or place specified in the warrant, if necessary by force, and to search the premises or place and every person found therein, and to seize and retain any photograph, drawing, plan, model, article, note or document or anything of a like nature or anything which is or may be evidence of an offence under this Act having been or being about to be committed, which he may find on the premises or place or on any such person, and with regard to or in connection with which he has reasonable ground for suspecting that an offence under this Act has been or is about to be committed. The seal of a court shall not be necessary to validate a warrant issued under this section. (2) A Justice of the Peace is authorised to administer an oath or affirmation for the purposes of this section. (3) The information shall, unless the warrant has been issued by a Magistrate under the seal of his court, be returned without undue delay to a District Court. (4) A search warrant issued under this section shall, if issued by a Magistrate under the seal of his court, be returned to his court and in any other case shall be returned to a District Court. (5) When it appears to an officer of police not below the rank of sergeant that the case is one of great emergency and that in the interests of Singapore immediate action is necessary, he may, by a written order under his hand, give to any constable the like authority as may be given by the warrant of a Justice of the Peace under this section. [21/73] Trial of offences 16.—(1) For the purposes of the trial of a person for an offence under this Act, the offence shall be deemed to have been committed either at the place in which the same actually was committed, or at any place in Singapore in which the offender may be found. (2) In addition and without prejudice to any powers which a court may possess to order the exclusion of the public from any proceedings, if, in the course of proceedings before a court against any person for an offence under this Act or the proceedings on appeal, or in the course of the trial of a person for an offence under this Act, application is made by the prosecution, on the ground that the publication of any evidence to be given or of any statement to be made in the course of the proceedings would be prejudicial to the safety of Singapore, that all or any portion of the public shall be excluded during any part of the hearing, the court may make an order to that effect, but the passing of sentence shall in any case take place in public. (3) Where the person guilty of an offence under this Act is a company or corporation Singapore Statutes Online Current version as at 25 Sep 2018 PDF created date on: 25 Sep 2018