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A company was fined $9,000 at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (April 28) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
The court heard that officers from the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department inspected a club in Elgin Street, Central, which had been operating with a certificate of compliance (CoC), in September last year.
During the investigation, 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 as members. The club's layout was found to have deviated from the registered drawings. Furthermore, the club staff failed to show the CoC or its certified true copy, the copy of the certificate of fire services installations and equipment, the registered drawings or the membership register upon the OLA officers' request. Conditions 19, 3, 2, 10, 17 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 reminded all the CoC holders to comply with the conditions as stipulated therein. Enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal club operations.
Ends/Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:30
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