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A Hong Kong man and a Mainland woman, involved in false marriage cases, were both jailed after appearing in Sha Tin Magistrates' Court today (April 26).
Hong Kong resident, Wong Ngar Hin, 31, was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to defraud and three counts of possessing false instruments, and was jailed for 14 months.
Immigration officers raided Wong's premises during an investigation into a fake marriage case and three sets of false instruments were found. Wong admitted that the false instruments were his and said he had entered into two false marriages with Mainland women - one in June, 2003, and another in May, 2005.
Wong said he had received $20,000 as rewards for the two marriages of convenience. His bogus wives then used the false marriages to acquire "90-day visit" endorsements to enter Hong Kong for illegal work.
In the second case, a Mainland woman, Zhang Guimei, 34, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud and three counts of making false representation to an Immigration Officer. She was jailed for 18 months.
Zhang was intercepted at Lo Wu control point in March. She admitted that she had agreed with a middleman to enter into a false marriage with a Hong Kong resident at a cost of HK$17,000. She intended to make use of the false marriage to acquire a "90-day visit" endorsement to enter Hong Kong and eventually for settlement.
She married her bogus husband in Hong Kong in April, 2006. She then made visits to Hong Kong after the "marriage", falsely declaring to the Immigration control officers that she came to visit her resident husband.
"The Immigration Department has been very concerned with non-Hong Kong residents obtaining stay in Hong Kong by means of marriage of convenience." 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 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. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalty.
Besides, anyone who commits the offence of possessing a false instrument without lawful authority or excuse is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for 3 years.
Ends/Thursday, April 26, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:11
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