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A fireman who helped a foreign domestic helper make a false representation to an Immigration officer has been ordered to perform 120 hours of community service.
The fireman, Lai Wai-tak was sentenced in the Sha Tin Magistrate's Court today (January 26).
Lai, 33, and his former girlfriend Yu Yuk-wan, 31, last month pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting a false representation to an Immigration Officer.
The court heard that Lai and his former girlfriend had helped Siswanti Luris make a false representation that she (Siswanti) was to be employed by him. Yu was sentenced on January 10, 2006, to 60 hours' community service.
Investigations revealed that in August last year Siswanti, an Indonesian domestic helper, was intercepted at Hong Kong International Airport as she was about to return to Indonesia after overstaying in Hong Kong. The maid provided Yu's telephone number for enquiries, but it was found that Yu was not the contractual employer. More investigations followed.
Siswanti first entered Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper in 2000 and was approved to work for an employer until 2004. Before the employment visa expired, Yu promised to hire her as her domestic helper, but told her that Lai would be her nominal employer. Armed with the supporting documents in Lai's name, Siswanti applied for a change of employment in 2004. Approval was given for her to work for Lai at a contractual address at To Kwa Wan, but she was in fact working for Yu at Sai Ying Pun. The helper had never met Lai.
In June, 2005, the Immigration Department asked Lai to pay an overdue levy payment for Siswanti. Lai said he had prematurely terminated the helper's employment in December, 2004, and a letter bearing Lai's signature was subsequently received.
It was later found that Lai and Yu had intended to marry but they had separated. Lai agreed to hire a domestic helper for Yu and had all along paid for the domestic helper, but the helper had never worked for him.
Siswanti was charged with two counts of making a false representation that she was employed by Lai. She pleaded guilty to both charges and last month was jailed for six weeks on each charge, the sentences to run concurrently.
Under the laws of Hong Kong, it is an offence to make a false representation to an immigration officer. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalty.
Ends/Thursday, January 26, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:20
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