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A man was fined $3,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Court today (March 26) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
The court heard that officers of the Home Affairs Department's Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), disguised as guests, rented a room on a daily basis at a suspected unlicensed guesthouse at Argyle Street, Mong Kok, last August.
According to OLA's record, the premises did not have a valid certificate of exemption or a valid licence on the investigation day. The man, who is the keeper of the guesthouse, was subsequently charged under section 5(1) of the ordinance.
A department spokesman said it was a criminal offence to operate or manage unlicensed guesthouses and that enforcement action would continue to be taken against them to ensure the safety of lodgers. He also appealed to the public to report unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA on 2881 7498.
Ends/Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Issued at HKT 14:01
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