Investigations 15.1 The Contractor agrees to cooperate fully and faithfully with any investigation, audit or inquiry conducted by a State or City governmental agency or authority that is empowered, directly or by designation, to compel the attendance of witnesses and to examine witnesses under oath, or conducted by the Inspector General of a governmental agency that is a party in interest to the transaction, submitted proposal, contract, lease, permit, or license that is the subject of the investigation, audit or inquiry.
15.2 If:
15.2.1 any person who has been advised that her or his statement, and any information from such statement, will not be used against her or him in any subsequent criminal proceeding refuses to testify before a grand jury or other governmental agency or authority empowered directly or by designation to compel the attendance of witnesses and to examine witnesses under oath concerning the award of, or performance under, any transaction, agreement, lease, permit, contract, or license entered into with the City, the State, or any political subdivision or public authority thereof, or PANYNJ, or the Owner, or any local development Owner within the City, or any public benefit Owner organized under the laws of the State of New York, or
15.2.2 any person refuses to testify for a reason other than the assertion of her or his privilege against self- incrimination in an investigation, audit or inquiry conducted by a City or State governmental agency or authority empowered directly or by designation to compel the attendance of witnesses and to take testimony under oath, or by the Inspector General of the governmental agency that is a party in interest in, and is seeking testimony concerning the award of, or performance under, any transaction, agreement, lease, permit, contract, or license entered into with the City, the State, or any political subdivision thereof, or the Owner, or any local development Owner within the City, then the commissioner or agency head (each of which is hereinafter referred to as the “Commissioner”) whose agency is a party in interest to the transaction, submitted Proposal, submitted proposal, contract, lease, permit, or license involved in such investigation, audit or inquiry shall convene a hearing, upon not less than five (5) days written Notice to the parties involved, to determine if any penalties should attach for the failure of a person to testify.
15.3 If any non-governmental party to the hearing convened in accordance with the final clause of Section 15.2 requests an adjournment, the Commissioner who convened the hearing or the Owner may, upon the Commissioner granting the adjournment, suspend any contract, lease, permit, or license pending the final determination pursuant to Subsection 15.4.3 below without the City or the Owner incurring any penalty or damages for delay or otherwise.
15.4 The Owner or the City may impose the following penalties after a final determination by the Commissioner that penalties should attach for the failure of a person to testify:
15.4.1 the disqualification for a period not to exceed five (5) years from the date of an adverse determination of any person, or any entity of which such person was a member at the time the testimony was sought, from submitting Proposals for, or transacting business with, or entering into or obtaining any contract, lease, permit or license with or from the City or the Owner, as the case may be; and/or
15.4.2 the cancellation or termination of any and all such existing City or Owner contracts, leases, permits or licenses that the refusal to testify concerns and that have not been assigned as permitted under this Contract, nor the proceeds of which pledged, to an unaffiliated and unrelated institutional lender for fair value prior to the issuance of the Notice scheduling the hearing, without the City or the Owner incurring any penalty or damages on account of such cancellation or termination; monies lawfully due for goods delivered, work done, rentals, or fees accrued prior to the cancellation or termination shall be paid by the City or the Owner, as the case may be.
15.4.3 The Commissioner shall consider and address, in reaching her or his determination, and the Owner and the Commissioner shall consider and address, in assessing an appropriate penalty, the factors in Subsections 15.4.3.1 and
