351.665. Secretary of state may examine books and records--penalty for disclosing information.
Secretary of state may examine books and records--penalty fordisclosing information.
351.665. The secretary of state and supervisor ofcorporation registration shall have power to examine the booksand records of any corporation to which this chapter applies, andit shall be the duty of any officer or agent of such corporationto produce such books and records for examination, on demand ofthe secretary of state or supervisor of corporation registration;provided, that no person shall be subject to any criminalprosecution on account of any matter or thing which may bedisclosed by the examination of any corporation books, orrecords, which he may produce or exhibit for examination asherein required; or on account of any matter or thing concerningwhich he may make any voluntary and truthful statement in writingto the secretary of state, or supervisor of corporationregistration. All facts obtained in the examination of the booksand records of any corporation, or through voluntary swornstatement of any officer, agent, or employee of any corporation,shall be treated as confidential, except insofar as official dutymay require the disclosure of same; or when such facts arematerial to any issue in any legal proceeding in which thesecretary of state or supervisor of corporation registration maybe called as a witness, and, if the secretary of state orsupervisor of corporation registration shall, except as hereinprovided, disclose any information relative to the privateaccounts, affairs, and transactions of any such corporation, heshall be deemed guilty of, and punished as for, a misdemeanor.The statements as to assets and liabilities in this chapterrequired shall, when filed with the secretary of state, betreated as confidential and he shall not disclose any informationin such statement contained, except to a stockholder furnishingsatisfactory proof of his ownership of stock in the corporationconcerning whose statement he seeks information or upon the orderof court when the contents of such statement as to assets andliabilities are material to any issue in any action, civil orcriminal, pending in the court making the order, or to theattorney general when required by him in the discharge of hisofficial duties.
(RSMo 1939 § 5095, A.L. 1943 p. 410 § 121)Prior revisions: 1929 § 4623; 1919 § 9817