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A Mainland woman and Hong Kong man, involved in false marriage cases, were both jailed after appearing in the District Court today (May 14).
Deng Qiuying, 43, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud, one count of making false representation to an Immigration Officer and one count of breach of condition of stay. She was jailed for 12 months.
Deng was intercepted on arrival at Lo Wu control point last November and admitted that she had agreed with a middleman to enter into a false marriage with a Hong Kong resident at a cost of $8,000. She intended to make use of the false marriage to acquire a "90-day visit" endorsement to visit Hong Kong but in fact was going to use it for job hunting and eventually for settlement.
She married her bogus husband in October, 2006. She made visit to Hong Kong after the "marriage", falsely declaring to the Immigration control officers that she came to visit her resident husband. Deng also admitted that she had taken up unapproved employment as a domestic helper in Hong Kong last year.
A Hong Kong resident, Leung Kwok Keung, 48, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud and was jailed for eight months.
Leung was intercepted during an investigation into a fake marriage case last November. Leung said he had received $3,000 as reward for a marriage of convenience. His bogus wife then used the false marriage to acquire "90-day visit" endorsement to enter Hong Kong to seek illegal work.
"The Immigration Department has been very concerned with non-Hong Kong residents obtaining stay in Hong Kong by means of marriage of convenience," 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 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.
It is also an offence to make a false representation to Immigration officers. 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.
Besides, anyone who commits the offence of breach of condition of stay is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for 2 years.
Ends/Monday, May 14, 2007
Issued at HKT 17:56
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