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A woman was today (November 28) fined $3,000 at the Kowloon City Magistratesˇ¦ Court for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance(HAGAO).
The Court heard that an officer of the Office of the Licensing Authority(OLA), Home Affairs Department, under disguise as a customer, reserved a room at a guesthouse in April in Arran Street, Mong Kok, for several days. When the officer arrived at the premises, two signs of the guesthouse were found outside the unit.
The woman, who was the manager of the guesthouse, gave a bunch of keys to the premises to the officer after receiving the rental payment for the room.
The OLAˇ¦s record showed that the premises did not have a certificate of exemption or a license as required under Section 5(2) of the HAGAO. The woman was subsequently charged for managing an unlicensed guesthouse.
A department spokesman stressed that it was a criminal offence to operate or manage unlicensed guesthouses and that enforcement action would continue to be taken against them to ensure the safety of lodgers. He also appealed to the public to report unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA on 2881 7498.
Ends/Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:00
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