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A Hong Kong resident, who entered into a bogus marriage with a Mainlander, was sentenced today (October 19) to perform 160 hours of community service.
The Community Service Order was issued today on 25-year-old female defendant, Tsui Wing-shan, who earlier pleaded guilty in Sha Tin Magistrates' Court to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the Immigration Department. The 23-year-old Mainlander, Zhao Wei, had previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and on October 5 he was sentenced to four months' jail.
Immigration investigators arrested Zhao in June, 2006, during an anti-illegal worker operation. Records revealed that he had married Tsui in August, 2004. Investigators had doubts about the authenticity of the marriage and decided to look into the case.
Zhao subsequently admitted that in August, 2004, he had met a local "marriage fixer", who had offered to arrange a bogus marriage between him and a female Hong Kong resident at a cost of $30,000. Zhao agreed to the proposal because he hoped to enter Hong Kong with an Entry & Exit Permit to look for illegal employment, then gain a One-way China Exit Permit for settlement in Hong Kong.
The defendant admitted that a middleman had offered to pay her $10,000 for entering into a bogus marriage with a Mainlander. She accepted the offer to earn some quick money. As planned, in late August 2004, she married Zhao under the arrangement of the same "marriage fixer". It was agreed that the couple would divorce as soon as Zhao had obtained his one-way permit.
"The department has been very concerned with the issue of 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. Should sufficient evidence be gathered, 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.
"We are looking into the allegation about the "marriage fixer" and prosecution action will be taken once there is sufficient evidence," the spokesman said. "We will not tolerate any person obtaining residence in Hong Kong by means of deception."
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/Thursday, October 19, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:25
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