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The following is issued on behalf of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority:
Four members of the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Scheme were convicted today (February 2) and fined $28,000 at the Kwun Tong Magistracy for breaching section 43E(1) of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance by making false and misleading statements submitted in documents to the approved MPF trustees.
The defendant, Ip Wai Yee, was charged with the offence under Section 43E(1) of the Ordinance for making false and misleading statement to the trustee and was fined $7,000.
The defendant, Singh Surjit Sammy, was charged with the offence under Section 43E(1) of the Ordinance for making false and misleading statement to the trustee and was fined $7,000.
The defendant, Lok Ping Kong, was charged with the offence under Section 43E(1) of the Ordinance for making false and misleading statement to the trustee and was fined $7,000.
The defendant, Yeung Wai Keung, was charged with the offence under Section 43E(1) of the Ordinance for making false and misleading statement to the trustee and was fined $7,000.
The court heard that the defendants applied to their trustees on November 12, 2008, November 18, 2008, June 4, 2009 and August 12, 2009, respectively for early withdrawal of their MPF accrued benefits on the ground of permanent departure. Investigation by the MPFA found that the four defendants had recklessly provided false and misleading statements in claiming that they had not previously claimed payment of accrued benefits on the ground of permanent departure on an earlier departure date.
The MPFA today pursued a claim in the Small Claims Tribunal for about $4,000 on behalf of an employee, who was owed MPF contributions by his employer.
Nail De Beauty Company Limited, did not appear and in its absence, the Adjudicator ordered it to pay the MPFA $4,419.42, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The amounts awarded will be reimbursed to the employee's MPF account as soon as it is received by the MPFA. The tribunal further ordered the defendant to pay costs of $139.
Ends/Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:56
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