Unlicensed clubhouse keeper fined
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    A man was convicted and fined $5,000 at the Eastern Magistrates' Court today (February 14) for managing a clubhouse in North Point without a Certificate of Compliance (CoC).

     The court heard that officers of the Home Affairs Department's Office of the Licensing Authority inspected premises on King's Road, North Point, in August last year and found that a club-house comprising 26 partition rooms was operated for mahjong playing and catering to its members.

    The man admitted that he was the manager of the club and that the premises was operated as a club providing catering service and mahjong playing to its members and their accompanied guests without a valid CoC.

    He was subsequently charged under Section 4 (1) of the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance for managing an unlicensed clubhouse at the premises.

     A department spokesman said that enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal club-house operations to ensure the safety of patrons of these establishments.

Ends/Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:24

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