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A man was convicted and fined $10,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (July 19) for managing a guesthouse in Tsim Sha Tsui without a certificate of exemption or a licence as required under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
The court heard that officers of the Home Affairs Department's (HAD) Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse on Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, in January this year.
Nine rooms, all equipped with sleeping and shower facilities, were found in the unit. Twelve guests were met at the scene and some of them said that they had rented the rooms at a daily rate.
The man admitted under caution that he was the responsible person of the unlicensed guesthouse and was subsequently charged with contravening Section 5(1) of the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
An HAD spokesman stressed that it was a criminal offence to operate or manage an unlicensed guesthouse.
The spokesman reiterated that illegal guesthouses would not be tolerated and enforcement action would be taken against them to ensure the safety of patrons of these establishments.
He also appealed to the public to report unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA at 2881 7498.
Ends/Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:56
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