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A cleaning worker has been jailed over a bogus marriage after appearing in the Sha Tin Magistrates' Court today (December 8).
The 34-year-old male defendant, Law Shu-kin, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud, one count of making a false declaration for the purpose of procuring a marriage and one count of making a false representation to an Immigration officer. He was sentenced to an effective jail term of eight months.
The 40-year-old Mainlander, Cai Ermei, the bogus wife of Law, was previously charged with one count of making a false representation to an Immigration officer and one count of conspiracy to defraud on November 25. She pleaded guilty to both charges and was sentenced to an effective jail term of eight months.
On November 7, 2006, Cai presented for arrival clearance at Lo Wu control point, saying she was going to visit her resident husband Law. An Immigration control officer contacted Law for further information and when both defendants gave inconsistent information, an investigation began.
Law admitted that he contracted a bogus marriage with Cai for $8,000 to settle his debts, saying he did not see her after the marriage. On November 7, he falsely declared to an Immigration control officer at Lo Wu that Cai was his wife. The court heard that Law was unaware of the seriousness of the offences and was induced to commit the offence for monetary rewards.
Cai admitted that she agreed to contract a bogus marriage with a Hong Kong resident at a cost of RMB5,000 in order to obtain a "T" exit endorsement to visit Hong Kong for job seeking. She contracted a bogus marriage with Law in December, 2005, and then used the bogus marriage to obtain "T" endorsement for every subsequent entry into Hong Kong.
Record checks revealed that Cai had entered Hong Kong as a visitor in December, 2005, and March and July, 2006.
"The department has been very concerned with 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. If there is enough evidence, 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.
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.
Anyone who makes a false declaration for the purpose of procuring a marriage shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for seven years and to a fine.
Ends/Friday, December 8, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:09
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