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A woman was convicted and fined $3,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Court today (November 14) for contravening Section 5(1) of the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
The court heard that officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse in Bute Street, Mong Kok, in May this year. The investigation team saw signboards of the guesthouse at the external wall and common area of the building.
The woman, who was the manager of the guesthouse, said that there were eight rooms, all consisting of sleeping accommodation, for rental. Some guests in the rooms acknowledged that the woman was responsible for guest registration and housekeeping in the premises.
According to the OLA¡¦s record, the guesthouse did not possess a valid certificate or a license under the ordinance on the day of inspection. The woman was charged with contravening the ordinance.
A department spokesman stressed that unlicensed guesthouses would not be tolerated and enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal guesthouse operation to ensure the safety of lodgers. He appealed to the public to report unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA at 2881 7498.
Ends/Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Issued at HKT 17:00
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