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A woman and a man were fined $10,000 and $5,000 respectively at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (June 27) for operating and managing an unlicensed guesthouse in Mong Kok.
The courts heard that in November last year, an officer of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, posed as a lodger and rented a flat on Sai Yee Street, Mong Kok, on a daily basis. According to the OLA's records, the premises did not possess a valid certificate of exemption or a license under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance on the day of inspection. The female operator and the male manager of the guesthouse were charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
A department spokesman stressed that it is a criminal offence to operate or manage an unlicensed guesthouse. Any person who is convicted of operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is liable to imprisonment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a $200,000 fine and imprisonment for two years.
He appealed to the public to report suspected illegal guesthouses to the OLA through the OLA hotline (2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk) or fax (fax number: 2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the website (www.hadla.gov.hk).
Ends/Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Issued at HKT 17:15
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