Section 270

Expenses of investigation.—(1) When an investigation is ordered to be made under section 256 or 257 or 258, the expenses of and incidental to the investigation shall in the first instance be defrayed by the Commission; but the following persons shall, to the extent mentioned below, be liable to reimburse the Commission in respect of such expenses, namely—

(a) any person who is convicted on a prosecution instituted in pursuance of section 263 or is ordered to pay damages or restore any property as a result of proceedings under section 269 may in the same proceedings be ordered to pay the said expenses to such extent as may be specified by the Commission or the Court convicting such person or ordering him to pay such damages or restore such property, as the case may be;

(b) any company or body corporate in whose name proceedings are brought as aforesaid shall be liable, to the extent of the amount or value of any sums or property recovered by it as a result of the proceedings;

(c) where the investigation was ordered by the Commission under clause (c) of sub-section (1) of section 256 or 257 or 258, the company or body corporate whose affairs are ordered to be investigated, shall be liable; and

(d) where the investigation was ordered under section 256 on an application of the members, the members making the application and the company or body corporate dealt with by the report shall be liable to such extent, if any, as the Commission may direct.

(2) The amount of expenses which any company, body corporate or person is liable under this section to reimburse to the Commission shall be recoverable from that company, body corporate or person as provided under section 486.

(3) For the purposes of this section, any costs or expenses incurred by the Commission in or in connection with proceeding brought by the Commission under section 269 shall be treated as expenses of the investigation giving rise to the proceedings.

(4) Any liability to reimburse the Commission imposed by clauses (a) and (b) of sub-section (1) shall, subject to satisfaction of the right of the Commission to re-imbursement, be a liability also to indemnify all persons against liability under clause (c) of that sub-section.

(5) Any such liability imposed by clause (a) of sub-section (1) shall, subject as aforesaid, be a liability also to indemnify all persons against liability under clause (b) of that sub-section.

(6) Any person liable under clause (a) or clause (b) or clause (c) of subsection (1) shall be entitled to contribute from any other person liable under the same clause according to the amount of their respective liabilities thereunder.

(7) In so far as the expenses to be defrayed by the Commission under this section are not recovered thereunder, they shall be borne by the Commission.