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A man was fined $18,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (March 28) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance and the Karaoke Establishments Ordinance.
The court heard that in August last year, the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department inspected a club in Hillwood Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, which had been operating with a certificate of compliance (CoC). During the investigation, the actual layout of the club was found to have deviated from the registered drawings. Condition 3 of the CoC was breached.
Furthermore, audio-visual equipment and other devices for karaoke activities were found in five rooms in the club. According to the OLA's records, the club did not possess a valid permit or licence as required under the Karaoke Establishments Ordinance on the day of inspection.
The man, being the CoC holder, was charged with contravening section 21(2) of the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance and section 4(1) of the Karaoke Establishments Ordinance.
A spokesman for the department said enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal club operations.
Ends/Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Issued at HKT 17:46
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