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A woman was convicted and fined $5,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Court today (October 4) for managing a guesthouse in Mong Kok without a certificate of exemption or a licence.
The court heard that officers of the Home Affairs Department's Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse on the first and second floor of a building on Reclamation Street, Mong Kok in April this year.
The investigating team saw three signboards of the guesthouse on the external wall and common area of the building. A total of 12 rooms, all with sleeping accommodation, were found in the premises. A guest claimed that he had paid daily rent for the room.
The woman admitted that she worked in the premises and nine rooms were offered for let on daily basis. She was subsequently charged with contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
A department spokesman stressed that it was a criminal offence to operate or manage an unlicensed guesthouse.
The spokesman said illegal guesthouse 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, October 4, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:30
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