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A man, two women and a company were fined $2,500 to $10,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (April 6) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
The courts heard that in September last year, officers from the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department conducted inspections at three clubs on Portland Street in Mong Kok, Carnarvon Road and Austin Road in Tsim Sha Tsui which had been operating with certificates of compliance (CoCs).
During the investigation in the club on Portland Street, 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. Condition 19 of the CoC was breached. The woman and the company, being the manager and the CoC holder of the club respectively, were charged with contravening section 21(1) and section 21(2) of the Ordinance respectively.
Apart from serving non-members, the club on Carnarvon Road was found to have operated beyond the licensed area and had a layout that deviated from the registered drawings, and the number of people at the club exceeded the maximum allowable capacity as stipulated in the CoC. The fire-resistant door of the club was also found to have been blocked and could not close automatically. Conditions 3, 6, 9, 18 and 19 of the CoC were breached. The man, being the CoC holder of the club, was charged with contravening section 21(2) of the Ordinance.
As for the club on Austin Road, the club's staff failed to show a copy of the certificate of fire services installations and equipment and the registered drawings upon the OLA officers' request. Conditions 10 and 17 of the CoC were breached. The woman, 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/Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Issued at HKT 19:16
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