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A man was convicted and fined $3,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Court today (November 26) for managing a guesthouse without a certificate of exemption or a licence.
The court heart that in May 2007, staff of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected a guesthouse in Shanghai Street, Mong Kok, which had been found to be contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance in February 2007. The investigation team saw several signboards of the guesthouse outside the premises. The unit was found divided into 12 compartments for daily or monthly rental purposes.
The man, who was the keeper of the guesthouse, admitted that the guesthouse had been operating without a licence since the OLA's last inspection of the premises.
According to the OLA's record, the guesthouse did not possess a valid certificate or a licence under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance on the day of inspection. Hence, the man was charged with contravening section 5(1) of the ordinance.
A department spokesman stressed that it was a criminal offence to operate or manage an unlicensed guesthouse. He appealed to the public to report unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA at 2881 7498.
Ends/Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Issued at HKT 15:30
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