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A mainland man and woman involved in false marriage cases, were jailed after appearing in Sha Tin Magistrates' Court today (June 7).
Feng Huodi, 45, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of making false representation to an Immigration Officer and was given an effective sentence of 16 months.
Feng admitted that she had entered into a false marriage with a Hong Kong resident at a cost of 12,000 renminbi. She intended to make use of the false marriage to acquire a "90-day visit" endorsement to enter Hong Kong for illegal work. She married her bogus husband on the Mainland in December, 2005, and then made visits to Hong Kong, falsely declaring to Immigration control officers that she came to visit her resident husband.
In the second case, Huang Yongxun, 37, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud and one count of making false representation to an Immigration Officer and was given an effective sentence of 12 months.
Huang was intercepted at Lo Wu control point on April 13. He admitted that he had agreed with a middleman to enter into a false marriage with a Hong Kong resident at a cost of $19,000. He married his bogus wife in September, 2005, and then made visit to Hong Kong, falsely declaring to an Immigration control officer that he came to visit his resident wife.
"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.
Ends/Thursday, June 7, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:14
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