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The following is issued on behalf of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority:
One company director and one employer were fined $28,000 at the Kwun Tong Magistracy today (May 6), after being convicted of offences under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance.
Cheung Chi Keung, director of Star Team Development Limited trading as Wall City, was charged for offences under section 7A(8) and section 44 of the ordinance. The defendant pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to make MPF contributions for an employee within the prescribed time for the contribution period in June and August 2007. The defendant was fined $8,000 for the first summons and $3,000 each for the remaining summonses, totalling $14,000.
Star Team Development Limited trading as Wall City was charged for an offence under section 7A(8) of the ordinance. The defendant pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to make MPF contributions for an employee within the prescribed time for the contribution period between September and November 2007. The defendant was fined $8,000 for the first summons and $3,500 each for the remaining summonses, totalling $14,000.
Meanwhile, the MPFA today obtained an order in the District Court for payment of outstanding MPF contributions of about $650,000 against an employer, Venezia Environmental Services Limited. The defendant was ordered to pay the MPFA the sums of $655,991.19, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable to 341 employees of the defendant.
The MPFA today also pursued three claims in the Small Claims Tribunal for some $15,000 on behalf of four employees, who were owed MPF contributions by their employers.
At the tribunal's hearing today, the defendant, East Forest International Company Limited, did not dispute the amount claimed. The adjudicator ordered it to pay the MPFA the sum of $3,990, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The other two defendants, Quality Source Limited and Sharp Idea Team Limited, did not appear at today's hearing. In their absence, the adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA the sums of $6,600 and $4,694.88, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The amounts awarded at both the District Court and the tribunal will be reimbursed to the employees' MPF accounts as soon as they are received by the MPFA. The District Court ordered the defendant to pay costs of $930 and the tribunal ordered the respective defendants to pay $80, $140 and $80 as costs in respect of the claims.
Ends/Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:05
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