(a)Whenever the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that any person or enterprise may have knowledge of, has been engaged in or is engaging in any conduct in violation of this chapter, the Attorney General may, in the Attorney General’s discretion, conduct an investigation of such conduct. The Attorney General is authorized before the commencement of any civil or criminal proceeding under this chapter to subpoena witnesses. The Attorney General may issue in writing and cause to be served on any person an investigative demand to compel the attendance of witnesses, examine witnesses under oath, require the production of evidence or documentary materials, and require answers to written interrogatories to be furnished under oath.
(b)The production of documentary material in res
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(a) Whenever the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that any person or enterprise may have knowledge of, has been engaged in or is engaging in any conduct in violation of this chapter, the Attorney General may, in the Attorney General’s discretion, conduct an investigation of such conduct. The Attorney General is authorized before the commencement of any civil or criminal proceeding under this chapter to subpoena witnesses. The Attorney General may issue in writing and cause to be served on any person an investigative demand to compel the attendance of witnesses, examine witnesses under oath, require the production of evidence or documentary materials, and require answers to written interrogatories to be furnished under oath.
(b) The production of documentary material in response to an investigative demand served under this section shall be made pursuant to a sworn certificate, in such form as the demand designates, by the person, if a natural person, to whom the demand is directed or, if not a natural person, by an individual having knowledge of the facts and circumstances relating to the production of materials, which certificate shall affirm that all of the documentary material required by the investigative demand and in the possession, custody or control of the person to whom the demand is directed has been produced and made available to the custodian.
(c) The Attorney General may, in the Attorney General’s discretion, require the production under this section of documentary materials prior to the taking of any testimony of the person subpoenaed. The required documentary materials shall be made available for inspection or copying during normal business hours at the principal place of business of the person served, or at such other time and place as may be agreed upon between the person served and the Attorney General.
(d) The examination of all persons pursuant to this section shall be conducted by the Attorney General or by a person designated in writing to be the Attorney General’s representative, before an officer chosen by the Attorney General who is authorized to administer oaths in this State. The statements made shall be taken down stenographically, or by a sound-recording device, and shall be transcribed.
(e) No person shall, with intent to avoid, evade, prevent or obstruct compliance in whole or in part by any person with any duly served investigative demand of the Attorney General under this section, knowingly remove to any place, conceal, withhold, destroy, mutilate, alter or by any other means falsify any documentary material or materials that are the subject of the demand. A violation of this subsection is a class E felony. The Attorney General shall investigate suspected violations of this section.
(f) In the event a witness subpoenaed under this section fails or refuses to appear, or to produce documentary materials as provided herein, or to give testimony relevant or material to an investigation, the Attorney General may petition the Superior Court in the county where the witness resides for an order requiring the witness to attend and testify, or to produce the documentary materials. Any failure or refusal by the witness to obey an order of the Court may be punishable by the Court as contempt.