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A company was fined $6,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (July 4) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
The courts heard that during an inspection last December, officers from the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department inspected a club in Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui, which had been operating with a certificate of compliance (CoC). During the investigation, OLA officers posed as customers and patronised the club for food without being asked to show their membership status or being invited to join the club as members. Moreover, the club staff could not show the membership register upon the OLA officers' request. Conditions 19 and 20 of the CoC were breached.
The company, being the CoC holder, was charged with contravening section 21(2) of the Ordinance.
A spokesman for the department said enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal club operations.
Ends/Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Issued at HKT 17:01
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