1254

If any officer of a public service company or private carrier, being a party to a proceeding before the Commission, shall absent himself from the jurisdiction of Puerto Rico or hide himself for the purpose of avoiding service of a subpoena, or shall remove relevant documents from Puerto Rico for the purpose of preventing their examination by the Commission, or shall destroy or conceal any such documents for such purpose, he shall be guilty of contempt, and the Court of First Instance may impose on him a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100), or one-day imprisonment in jail for each day during the continuance of such refusal, neglect, concealment or removal, provided the jail term does not exceed a total of six (6) months. If the court shall find that the neglect, refusal or concealment, or the removal or destruction of the documents by such officer has been caused by the advice or with the consent of such public service company or private carrier, or in any way aided or abetted by said company or private carrier, then, in default of payment of said fine by the person in contempt, the same shall be paid by said public service company or private carrier, and may be

or abetted by said company or private carrier, then, in default of payment of said fine by the person in contempt, the same shall be paid by said public service company or private carrier, and may be recovered therefrom by an action, in the name of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, in the said court, in the same manner as other fines and penalties.\nHistory —June 28, 1962, No. 109, p. 288, § 43, eff. 90 days after June 28, 1962.