************************************
A man who contravened the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance was fined $2,500 at the Eastern Magistrates' Court today (January 16).
The court heard that in April last year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department refused the man’s application for a licence under the ordinance in respect of a holiday flat in Cheung Chau and sent him a letter for immediate cessation of its unlicensed operation.
The OLA's officers inspected the holiday flat last July and noted there were seven rooms, equipped with sleeping, cooking and shower facilities, on the first and second floors of the premises. Some lodgers revealed that they rented rooms at the holiday flat at a daily rate either at a counter at Cheung Chau Ferry Pier or at an agency in Mong Kok.
The man, who was the management personnel of the holiday flat, was subsequently charged under Section 5(1) of the ordinance with managing a holiday flat without a valid certificate for exemption or licence.
A Home Affairs Department spokesman said that unlicensed holiday flats would not be tolerated and enforcement action would continue to be taken against them to ensure the safety of patrons of these establishments. He also appealed to people to report unlicensed holiday flats to the OLA at 2881 7498.
Ends/Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:45
NNNN
