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A man, a woman and two companies were fined $3,000, $7,000, $7,500 and $1,000 respectively today (December 8) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
The Eastern Magistrates' Court heard that officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of Home Affairs Department inspected a club in Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay in April. OLA officers, posing as customers, patronised the clubhouse for drinks without their membership status being verified or being invited to join the club as members. Clubhouse staff could not produce club membership register for inspection, violating two conditions of the certificate of compliance (CoC). The female operator of the club was charged with contravening Section 21(2) of the ordinance.
In May, OLA officers inspected a clubhouse in Lockhart Road, Wan Chai. OLA officers, posing as customers, patronised the clubhouse for food without being asked to show their membership status or being invited to join the club as members. The clubhouse was not able to produce the membership register for inspection, and the layout of the clubhouse deviated from the registered drawing. Three conditions of the CoC were breached. The man, being the operator of the club, and the company, being the CoC holder, were charged with contravening Section 21(1)(a) and Section 21(2) of the ordinance respectively.
In the third case, OLA officers, posing as customers, patronised a clubhouse in King's Road, North Point in May without being asked to show their membership status or being invited to join the club. The company, being the CoC holder, was charged with contravening the Section 21(2) of the ordinance.
A spokesman for the department said robust enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal clubhouse operations.
Ends/Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Issued at HKT 18:04
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