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Two women were each fined $5,000 and sentenced to one month in jail, suspended for one year, at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (December 22) for managing unlicensed guesthouses in Mong Kok.
The court heard that in July this year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse in Mong Kok Road, Mong Kok. OLA officers posed as lodgers and rented a room inside the guesthouse on a daily basis. Later during the investigation, officers found seven rooms in the premises for rental.
In another inspection conducted in September this year on a suspected unlicensed guesthouse in Portland Street, Mong Kok, an OLA officer posed as lodger and rented a room inside the guesthouse on a daily basis. Later during the investigation, officers found eight rooms in the premises for rental.
According to the OLA's records, the two guesthouses did not possess a valid certificate of exemption or a license under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance (the Ordinance) on the day of inspection. The female managers of the guesthouses were charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
A department spokesman stressed that it was a criminal offence to operate or manage an unlicensed guesthouse and enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal guesthouse operations to ensure the safety of lodgers.
He appealed to the public to dial the OLA hotline (2881 7498), send e-mail (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk) or download a report form from the website, www.hadla.gov.hk, to report any suspected unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA.
Ends/Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:01
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