§ 16-19. Investigation of irregularities.

(a)

In all cases where the city secretary has reason to believe that a person or organization is soliciting for a charitable purpose without a permit, or the funds of a person or organization operating under a charitable solicitation permit have been or are being diverted from the purposes for which they are collected, or have been secured by misrepresentation, the person or organization involved is subject to investigation by the city secretary, and he may require the person or organization to file an immediate account of its receipts and expenditures.

(b)

The city secretary may execute in writing and cause to be served upon a person who is believed to have information, documentary material, or physical evidence relevant to an alleged or suspected violation of this article, an investigative demand requiring the person to furnish, under oath or otherwise, a report in writing setting forth the relevant facts or circumstances of which he has knowledge. The city secretary may also cause such person to appear and testify or to produce relevant documentary material or physical evidence for examination, at a reasonable time and place as may be stated in the investigative demand, concerning a charitable solicitation that is the subject matter of an investigation.

(c)

Failure or refusal to comply with an investigative demand made pursuant to the provisions of subsection (b) is a violation of this article.

(Code 1965, § 16-18)