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A woman and a company were fined $5,000 and $10,000 respectively at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (October 14) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance (the Ordinance).
The courts heard that in March this year, officers from the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department conducted inspections at two clubs on Lockhart Road and Sharp Street West in Causeway Bay, which have been operating with a certificate of compliance (CoC).
The OLA officers posed as customers and patronised the club on Lockhart Road 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's layout had deviated from the registered drawings, and the number of people at the club during the inspection had exceeded the maximum allowable capacity as stipulated in the CoC. Conditions 3, 6 and 19 of the CoC were breached.
Furthermore, the OLA officers found that apart from serving non-members, the club on Sharp Street West had its exit route obstructed. The club staff also failed to show the membership register upon OLA officers' request. Conditions 12, 19 and 20 of the CoC were breached.
The woman and the company, 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/Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:40
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