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One Hong Kong resident who arranged bogus marriages was charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud and was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment at the District Court today (November 12).
In 2011, the 72-year-old defendant was suspected to have arranged for Hong Kong residents to contract bogus marriages with Mainland residents during the investigation of a bogus marriage case. During the investigation against the defendant, a pile of documents related to the marriage records of Hong Kong residents and Mainland residents was found at the dwelling of the defendant. After analysis, the said marriages were believed to be bogus. Under caution, the defendant admitted that he had arranged several bogus marriages from 2003 to 2005 and received a few hundred Hong Kong dollars in each arrangement as pecuniary reward.
"The Immigration Department will continue to spare no effort in combating bogus marriages and other related illicit activities. For people who have obtained their residence in Hong Kong by fraudulent means, their Hong Kong identity card and residence status will be invalidated 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 to defraud is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for 14 years.
Ends/Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Issued at HKT 17:51
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