15   Protection of misdirected disclosures

(1)  A misdirected disclosure by a public official to an investigating authority that the public official honestly believed (at the time the disclosure was made) was the appropriate investigating authority to deal with the matter is a public interest disclosure if:

(a)  the investigating authority (whether because it is not authorised to investigate the matter under the relevant investigation Act or otherwise) refers the disclosure under Part 4 to another investigating authority or to a public official or public authority, or

(b)  the investigating authority could have referred the disclosure under Part 4 but did not do so because it has power to investigate the matter concerned under the relevant investigation Act.

(2)  A misdirected disclosure is a disclosure that is not a public interest disclosure because it was not made to the appropriate investigating authority or public authority (but that would have been a public interest disclosure had it been made to the appropriate investigating authority or public authority).