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A woman was sentenced in the Sha Tin Magistrate's Court today (January 10) to 60 hours' community service for aiding and abetting a foreign domestic helper to make a false representation to an Immigration Officer.
The woman, Yu Yuk-wan, 31, and her former boyfriend, a fireman, last month pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting a false representation to an Immigration Officer.
An Immigration Department spokesman said today that the fireman, Lai Wai-tak, 33, was still on bail pending sentence on January 26. Lai was charged with one count of aiding and abetting a domestic helper -- Siswanti Luris - to make a false representation that she was to be employed by him. Lai's former girlfriend was charged with one count of aiding and abetting Siswanti in making the false representation.
Investigations revealed that in August last year Siswanti, an Indonesian domestic helper, was intercepted at the airport as she was set to return to Indonesia after overstaying in Hong Kong. The maid provided Yu's telephone number for enquiries, but it was found that Yu was not the contractual employer. More investigations followed.
Siswanti first entered Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper in 2000 and was approved to work for an employer until 2004. Prior to the expiry of the employment visa, Yu promised to hire her as her domestic helper, but told her that Lai would be her nominal employer. Armed with the supporting documents in the name of Lai, Siswanti applied for a change of employment in 2004. Approval was given for her to work for Lai at a contractual address at To Kwa Wan, but she was in fact working for Yu at Sai Ying Pun. The helper had never met Mr Lai.
In June, 2005, the Immigration Department asked Lai to pay an overdue levy payment for Siswanti. Lai said he had prematurely terminated the helper's employment in December, 2004, and a letter bearing Lai's signature was subsequently received.
It was later found that Lai and Yu had intended to marry but they had separated. Lai agreed to hire a domestic helper for Yu and had all along paid for the domestic helper, but the helper had never worked for him.
Siswanti was charged with two counts of making a false representation that she was employed by Lai. She pleaded guilty to both charges and last month was sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment for each charge, to run concurrently.
Under the laws of Hong Kong, it is an offence to make a false representation to an immigration officer. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalty.
Ends/Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:10
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