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Operator and managers fined for illegal guesthouse operations
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     A man, a woman and a company were fined $3,000 to $20,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (August 21) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.

     The courts heard that officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse in Portland Street, Mong Kok, in November last year. OLA officers posed as lodgers and successfully rented a room in the guesthouse on an hourly basis.

     According to the OLA's records, this guesthouse did not possess a valid certificate of exemption or licence under the Ordinance on the day of inspection. Therefore, the man responsible for managing the premises was charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.

     Furthermore, OLA officers inspected a licensed guesthouse in Kweilin Street, Sham Shui Po, in January this year. They posed as lodgers and successfully rented a room in an unlicensed guesthouse on another floor on a daily basis. Therefore, the company, being the licence holder of the licensed guesthouse, was charged with contravening section 21(3)(b) of the Ordinance for operating a guesthouse in a premises other than the one indicated in the licence. The female manager of the unlicensed guesthouse was charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.

     A department spokesman stressed that operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is a criminal offence and will lead to a criminal record. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and two years' imprisonment.

     He appealed to the public to report suspected illegal guesthouses to the OLA through the OLA hotline (2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk) or by fax (fax number: 2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the website (www.hadla.gov.hk).

Ends/Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Issued at HKT 16:51

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