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A man was fined $3,000 at Kowloon City Magistrates' Court today (January 7) for managing a guesthouse in Yau Ma Tei without a valid certificate of exemption or a licence.
The court heard that in July last year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse in Wai Ching Street, Yau Ma Tei. An OLA officer posed as a lodger and successfully rented a room with accommodation facilities inside the guesthouse. The man involved admitted later to be responsible for managing the unlicensed guesthouse.
According to the Licensing Authority's records, the guesthouse did not possess a valid certificate or a licence under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance on the day of inspection. The man was charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Hotel & Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
A department spokesman stressed that it was a criminal offence to operate or manage an unlicensed guesthouse and enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal guesthouse operations to ensure the safety of lodgers. He appealed to the public to report unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA at 2881 7498.
Ends/Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:01
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