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A man was fined $8,600 at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (February 2) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
The courts heard that in July last year, officers from the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department conducted an inspection at a club on Lockhart Road in Causeway Bay, which had been operating with a certificate of compliance (CoC).
OLA officers posed as customers and patronised the club for food without being asked to show their membership status or being invited to join the club as members. OLA officers found that the fire-resistant door in the club had not been maintained as operable from inside and the exit route had been obstructed. Also, the club's staff failed to show the membership register upon the OLA officers' request. Conditions 9, 12, 19 and 20 of the CoC were breached.
The man, being the CoC holder of the club, was 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, February 2, 2016
Issued at HKT 18:17
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