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A company and a man were fined $8,000 and $13,000 respectively at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (April 23) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
The courts heard that in October and November last year, officers from the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department conducted inspections at two clubs in Chatham Road South in Tsim Sha Tsui and Sai Yeung Choi Street South in Mong Kok which have been operating with certificates of compliance (CoCs).
In the club in Chatham Road South, OLA officers posed as customers and patronised the club for food and drinks without being asked to show their membership status or being invited to join the club. The OLA officers also found that the club had a layout that deviated from the registered drawings. Conditions 3 and 19 of the CoC were breached.
Furthermore, OLA officers found that the club in Sai Yeung Choi Street South, in addition to serving non-members, had a layout that deviated from the registered drawings and its exit route was obstructed. The club staff also failed to show the registered drawings upon the OLA officers' request. Conditions 3, 9, 17 and 19 of the CoC were breached.
The company and the man, being the CoC holders of the clubs respectively, were charged with contravening section 21(2) of the Ordinance.
A spokesman for the department reminded all CoC holders to comply with the conditions as stipulated therein. Enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal club operations.
Ends/Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:15
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