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Two women were fined $2,500 and $8,000 respectively at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (August 15) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
The court heard that officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected a licensed guesthouse on Jordan Road, Jordan, in January this year. During the investigation, an OLA officer posed as a lodger and rented a room in another unlicensed premises in the same building on a daily basis. Therefore, the female operator of the premises was charged with contravening section 21(3)(b) of the Ordinance for operating a guesthouse in a place other than the address indicated in the licence.
OLA officers also inspected a licensed guesthouse on Argyle Street, Mong Kok, in the same month. During the investigation, OLA officers posed as lodgers and rented a room in another unlicensed premises in the same building on a daily basis. Therefore, the female manager of the premises was charged with section 5(1) of the Ordinance. She was also charged with section 21(6)(b) of the Ordinance for obstructing a public officer in the exercise of his powers under the 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, August 15, 2012
Issued at HKT 17:00
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