26. Powers of inspectors or duly authorised officers to search premises and seize certain goods (1) An inspector or any duly authorised officer may, for any of the purposes of this Act, and at all reasonable times, enter upon— (a) any land, building, premises or plant, not being the land, building, premises or plant of a registered seed cleaner, which he has reasonable cause to believe is being used in the cleaning of prescribed seed in contravention of this Act, and inspect the same and any machinery and equipment found therein; and he may seize and remove therefrom and detain any such machinery or equipment, or any prescribed seed, or any book, record or document found therein, which would afford evidence of a contravention of this Act; (b) any land, building, premises or plant, being used by a registered seed cleaner as a seed cleaning plant, for the purpose of inspecting the same as prescribed by regulations under this Act; and if, upon such inspection, he has reasonable cause to believe that the said seed cleaning plant, or any machinery or equipment to be found therein, is being maintained, operated or used in contravention of this Act, he may seize and remove therefrom and detain any such machinery or equipment or any prescribed seed or any book, record or document found therein, which would afford evidence of a contravention of this Act; and if he has reasonable cause to believe that any of the machinery or equipment found therein is, because of a mechanical or operational defect, contributing to the distribution from the said plant of any prescribed seed which is not cleaned to the standards therefor prescribed, he may by notice in writing require the registered seed cleaner to rectify the said machinery or equipment within seven days of the receipt of such notice, and in the event of the registered seed cleaner failing to comply with the said notice, the inspector or duly authorised officer shall notify the Certifying Authority of such failure to comply; (c) any land, building, premises or vehicle at, or in which, he has reasonable cause to believe any prescribed or restricted seed is being stored, sold or transported for sale in contravention of this Act, or is being packed in packages or other containers which are marked or labelled, or are being marked or labelled, with any description, mark or date in contravention of this Act, and in the manner prescribed take, without payment, for testing, samples of any prescribed or restricted seed found therein, and the owner of the said land, building, premises or vehicle, or his agent, or the person in custody or control thereof, shall, on demand, furnish to the inspector or duly authorised officer a statement in writing containing such particulars with respect thereto as are prescribed; and he may seize and remove therefrom and detain any prescribed or restricted seed, or any package or container, or any label, stamp or device for marking, stamping or labelling, or any book, record or document found therein, which would afford evidence of a contravention of this Act. (2) Any duly authorised officer shall, on demand by the owner, or the person having custody of such land, building, premises, plant or vehicle, produce his authority to enter upon such land, building, premises, plant or vehicle. (3) Any such inspector or duly authorised officer who, under the provisions of subsection (1), seizes and detains any vehicle, equipment, prescribed or restricted seed, or any package, label, stamp or device for marking, stamping or labelling, or any book, record or document, shall give to the person from whom they were seized a receipt, signed by such inspector or officer, for such vehicle, machinery, equipment, prescribed or restricted seed, package, label, stamp or device for marking, stamping or labelling, or for such book, record or document so seized. By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 11 Plant Variety and Seeds Act, 1967 (Chapter 236) Zambia (4) In the event of— (a) the Certifying Authority being advised in writing by the Director of Public Prosecutions that no prosecution consequent upon any such inspection made under subsection (1) should be instituted under this Act; or (b) any such prosecution having been finally concluded; then, in either such event, any vehicle, machinery, equipment, prescribed or restricted seed, book, record or document, package, label, stamp or device for marking, stamping or labelling, seized during the course of such inspection and detained under the provisions of subsection (1), shall be returned to the owner thereof, or to the person from whose custody they were taken, and shall be so returned within ten days from the date of the receipt by the Certifying Authority of such advice that no prosecution should be instituted, or from the date any such prosecution has been finally concluded, as the case may be: Provided that any such vehicle, machinery, equipment, prescribed or restricted seed, package, label, stamp or device for marking, stamping or labelling, shall not be returnable under this subsection if they have been declared by the court to be forfeited, or ordered to be destroyed, under any provision of this Act. [As amended by Act No. 21 of 1995]