133.— (1) A person who threatens to inflict, or inflicts, injury, damage or loss on a witness, or who offers a reward, or rewards, a witness to a Part 2 inquiry or other committee business—

(a) with intent to influence, or in a manner calculated to influence, whether any such witness will give evidence or the nature, extent, duration or content of the evidence any such witness may give, or

(b) without lawful excuse, in retaliation for, or in consequence of, the giving of evidence by any such witness,

is guilty of an offence.

(2) subsection (1) shall, with all necessary modification, apply to a member of a House or committee member or prospective committee member of a committee conducting or to conduct a Part 2 inquiry or other committee business as it applies to a witness to an inquiry or other committee business respectively.

(3) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a class A fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or both, or

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €500,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, or both.