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"A government workman received imprisonment sentence for posing as the father of two Mainland children to facilitate them to come to Hong Kong for settlement," said a spokesman of the Immigration Department today (November 8).

The 56-year-old male defendant, WONG Shan, was charged with one count of making a false representation to an Immigration Officer, one count of furnishing false particulars to a registration officer and one count of making false statement for the purpose of obtaining document of identity. He pleaded guilty to the charges at the Western Magistracy on 25 October and was sentenced today to 6 months' imprisonment on each charge, all to be run concurrently.

On 29 June 2000, the defendant was located for enquiries for suspicion of having posed as the natural father of two Mainland children to assist them to come to Hong Kong on Chinese Exit Permits for settlement.

Under caution, the defendant admitted that he , at the request of a friend in the Mainland, agreed to pose as the father of two Mainland children to apply for Chinese Exit Permit. One of the children was the daughter of the friend while the other was the son of the defendant's niece. The friend made all the arrangements regarding the application for Chinese Exit Permit and necessary household registers. When the permits were ready, the defendant accompanied the two children to come to Hong Kong and falsely stated that he was their father. He made the same false representation during the children' s subsequent application for Hong Kong identity card and Document of Identity for Visa Purposes. He alleged that he did not receive any reward in so doing.

"It is an offence in law in the making of false representation to an Immigration Officer. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction, the maximum penalty will be a fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years," the Immigration spokesman warned.

End/Wednesday, November 8, 2000

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