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A Hong Kong man has been jailed over a bogus marriage after appearing in the Sha Tin Magistrates' Court today (January 22).
Chui Fai-shing, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud and was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment.
A Hong Kong marriage certificate for Chui and a Mainland woman was found during an investigation into a bogus marriage syndicate. Immigration investigators then intercepted Chui for investigation.
Chui admitted that he had agreed with a middleman to enter into a bogus marriage with a Mainland woman for monetary reward. He was aware that the Mainland woman would use the marriage certificate to apply a "90-day visa" endorsement to enter Hong Kong and subsequently to acquire the right of abode here. He married his bogus wife in December, 2005, in Hong Kong.
"The department has been very concerned with non-Hong Kong residents obtaining stay in Hong Kong by means of bogus marriage," a department spokesman said. "A special task force has been set up to gather intelligence through various avenues and a thorough investigation will be conducted once evidence comes to light. If there is enough evidence, the department will prosecute the offenders.
"For people who have obtained their residence in Hong Kong by fraudulent means, their Hong Kong identity card and residence status will be declared invalid according to the laws of Hong Kong. They will also be subject to removal back to their place of origin," the spokesman said.
Under the laws of Hong Kong, anyone who commits the offence of conspiracy is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for 14 years.
Ends/Monday, January 22, 2007
Issued at HKT 17:46
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