Any Secretary of the Commonwealth, deputy, or employe of his office, who shall refuse to permit the public inspection or copying as authorized, except when in use in his office, by this act, of any return, nomination petition, certificate or paper, other petition, account, contract, report or any other document or record in his custody which, under the provisions of this act, is required to be open to public inspection; or who shall destroy or alter, or permit to be destroyed or altered, any such document or record during the period for which the same is required to be kept in his office; or who shall remove any such document or record from his office during said period, or permit the same to be removed, except pursuant to the direction of any competent court or any committee required to determine any contested primary or election, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be sentenced to pay a fine not exceeding one thousand ($1,000) dollars, or to undergo an imprisonment of not less than one (1) month nor more than two (2) years, or both, in the discretion of the court.