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A man was convicted and fined $8,000 at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (April 25) for managing an unlicensed guesthouse in North Point.
The court heard that officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department (HAD), disguised as customers had reserved a guesthouse on King's Road, North Point through a website of an agent in September last year. The man later led the officers to the premises where there was a living room, a toilet and two bedrooms furnished with sleeping accommodation facilities.
The man was subsequently charged for managing a guesthouse without a Certificate of Exemption or a licence and charged under Section 5 of the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
An HAD spokesman stressed that it was a criminal offence to operate or manage an unlicensed guesthouse.
The spokesman said that unlicensed guesthouse would not be tolerated and enforcement action would continue to be taken against them to ensure the safety of lodgers.
He appealed to people to report unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA on 2881 7498.
Ends/Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:07
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