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A 59-year-old male licensed newspaper stall hawker who attacked a Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) officer and refused to produce a hawker licence on demand has been convicted on two counts, namely common assault and failing to produce a hawker licence for inspection. He was fined $4,000 and $500 for the two charges respectively in Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (January 28).
The court heard that the defendant attacked a Senior Hawker Control Officer and refused to produce a hawker licence on demand during an enforcement operation near No. 63, Shaukeiwan Road on December 3 last year.
An FEHD spokesman reminded members of the public to co-operate with law enforcement officers. According to section 139 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Chapter 132), any person who wilfully obstructs, resists or uses abusive language to any law enforcement officer in the execution of his duties is liable to a maximum fine of $25,000 and six months' imprisonment.
"To use force against public officers is not right and offenders would have a criminal record when convicted. Furthermore, the FEHD would claim from offenders any losses arising from the absence of duty of the injured public officers through civil litigation," he added.
Ends/Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:40
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