(1) Information or a document or thing obtained by the Ombudsman or his officers in the course of, or for the purpose of, a preliminary examination, or investigation, under this Act shall not be disclosed except for the purposes of -

(a) the examination or investigation and of any statement, report or notification to be made thereon under this Act, or

(b) any proceedings for an offence under the Official Secrets Act, 1963, alleged to have been committed in respect of information or a document or thing obtained by the Ombudsman or any of his officers by virtue of this Act,

and the Ombudsman or his officers shall not be called upon to give evidence in any proceedings (other than such proceedings as aforesaid) of matters coming to his or their knowledge in the course of a preliminary examination, or an investigation, under this Act.

(2)

(a) A Minister of the Government may give notice in writing to the Ombudsman, with respect to any exempt record specified in the notice, or any class of exempt record so specified, that, in the opinion of the Minister of the Government, the disclosure (other than to the Ombudsman or officers of the Ombudsman) of that exempt record or of documents, or information or things of that class, would, for the reasons stated in the notice, be prejudicial to the public interest.