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One woman was fined $5,500 and another fined $3,000 in Kowloon City Magistrates' Court today (October 17) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance (HAGAO).
The court heard that Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected two suspected unlicensed guesthouses in Mong Kok in March and June this year. Several signboards bearing the names of the two separate guesthouses were found outside the premises.
The women, who were the keepers of the guesthouses, admitted that the compartments in both premises were for rental.
OLA record showed that the premises did not have certificate of exemption or a licence as required under Section 5(2) of the HAGAO on the day of inspection. The women were subsequently charged with contravening the ordinance.
A department spokesman stressed that it was a criminal offence to operate or manage an unlicensed guesthouse. He appealed to the public to report unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA at 2881 7498.
Ends/Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Issued at HKT 17:00
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