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The Immigration Department has stepped up checking measures in the past two months and detected several suspected bogus marriages to be contracted in Hong Kong. Five persons, including four Hong Kong residents and one Mainlander, were charged with the offences of conspiracy to defraud, signing a false notice for the purpose of procuring a marriage or making a false statutory declaration. They appeared in the Shatin Magistrates' Court today (September 12). Among them, three persons pleaded guilty to the charges and were sentenced to four months' to 12 months' imprisonment. The remaining two persons pleaded not guilty to the charges and their cases were adjourned to October 10, 2011.
"To further combat bogus marriage cases, our Marriage Registries enhanced the procedures since mid-July 2011 to conduct immediate assessment and expedite the checking measures upon interception of suspicious marriage cases, and to pass the information to the Investigation Sub-division for simultaneous analysis. Immediate investigation will be conducted if it is suspected that false information has been furnished. The above five cases were swiftly detected by the Marriage Registries as a result of the new measures. We believe that the enhanced measures and investigation actions will effectively combat bogus marriage cases. We will continue to conduct vigorous enforcement actions to detect the crime as soon as possible and to bring offenders to justice," said an Immigration Department spokesman.
It is a serious offence to enter into a bogus marriage. Offenders may have committed the offences of conspiracy to defraud, making false representation to immigration officers, signing a false notice for the purpose of procuring a marriage, making a false statutory declaration or bigamy.
Under the laws of Hong Kong, any person who commits the offence of conspiracy to defraud is liable to prosecution and upon conviction the maximum penalty is imprisonment for 14 years. It is also an offence to make false representation to immigration officers. Offenders are liable to prosecution and to a maximum fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years. Anyone who signs a false notice for the purpose of procuring a marriage shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for seven years. Anyone who makes a false statutory declaration shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for two years. Those who commit the offence of bigamy are liable to prosecution and upon conviction the maximum penalty is imprisonment for seven years. The Immigration Department appeals to the public not to take the risk of contracting bogus marriages for pecuniary rewards.
"For Mainlanders who have obtained a One-way Permit for settlement in Hong Kong by contracting a bogus marriage, their Hong Kong identity card and residence status will be declared invalid according to the laws of Hong Kong upon detection. They will also be subject to removal back to their place of origin, regardless of the length of stay in Hong Kong," the spokesman said.
Ends/Monday, September 12, 2011
Issued at HKT 17:57
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