***********************************************
A Hong Kong resident involved in marriage of convenience was jailed for 15 months after appearing in Sha Tin Magistrates' Court today (June 29).
Chow Sau Ying, 38, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud and one count of signing a false notice for the purpose of procuring a marriage.
She admitted agreeing with a middleman to enter into false marriage with a Mainland man for monetary reward and to facilitate the bogus husband to apply for "90-day visit" endorsement to enter Hong Kong and eventually for illegal work. After the marriage, Chow also intended to marry another Mainland man. She declared herself as "spinster" when filing the notice of marriage with the Immigration Department.
"The Immigration 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 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 sign a false notice for the purpose of procuring a marriage, upon conviction, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for 7 years and to a fine.
Ends/Friday, June 29, 2007
Issued at HKT 19:25
NNNN
