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A man who had been operating with a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) in Causeway Bay was today (August 5) fined $3,500 for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
The Eastern Magistrates' Court heard that a clubhouse in Foo Ming Street, Causeway Bay, had been operating with a CoC under the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance since November last year. The Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of Home Affairs Department later found that the clubhouse was operated in breach of Conditions and Special Conditions of the CoC and subsequently issued a warning letter to the club in December last year.
In an inspection conducted in January this year, officers of OLA, posing as customers, patronised the clubhouse for lunch without being asked to show membership status or invited to join the club as members. The layout of the clubhouse also deviated from that as shown on the registered drawing. The man, who was both the operator of the clubhouse and the holder of the CoC, was found to be in contravention of the Special Condition 1 and Condition 3 of the CoC. He was subsequently charged with contravening section 21(1)(a) and section 21(2) of the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
A spokesman for the department said enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal clubhouse operations.
Ends/Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:01
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