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A company and a man were fined $16,350 and $4,000 respectively at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (August 16) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
The courts heard that in February this year, the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department inspected a suspected unlicensed club in Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay. According to the OLA's records, the club did not possess a valid certificate of exemption or a licence on the day of inspection. The operating company was charged with contravening section 4(1) of the Ordinance.
In another inspection conducted in February on a club in Queen's Road West, Western District, which had been operating with a certificate of compliance (CoC), OLA officers found that the actual layout of the club deviated from the registered drawing, with an increased number of tables and chairs. Condition 3 of the CoC was breached. The man, being the CoC holder of the club, was charged with contravening section 21(2) of the Ordinance.
A spokesman for the department said enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal club operations.
Ends/Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Issued at HKT 17:46
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