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A charitable organisation was fined $3,000 at Kowloon City Magistrates' Court today (June 3) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
The court heard that the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of Home Affairs Department conducted an inspection last December on a clubhouse in Harbour Road, Wan Chai, which had been operating with a certificate of compliance (CoC). OLA officers, posing as customers, patronised the clubhouse for buffets without their membership status being verified or without being invited to join the membership. Clubhouse staff could not show the membership register upon request by the OLA officers. Special Conditions 1 and 2 of the CoC were contravened.
The charitable organisation, holder of the CoC, was charged with contravening Section 21(2) of the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
A department spokesman said robust enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal clubhouse operations.
Ends/Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:00
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