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Two Mainland women involved in marriages of convenience were both jailed after appearing in Sha Tin Magistrates' Court today (April 2).
Lai Yanmei, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud and one count of making false representation to an Immigration Officer and was given an effective sentence of 15 months.
Lai was intercepted at China Ferry Terminal control point on March 7, 2007. She admitted that she had agreed with a middleman to enter into a false marriage with a Hong Kong resident at a cost of 10,000 renminbi. She intended to use the false marriage to acquire a "90-day visit" endorsement to enter Hong Kong. She married her bogus husband on the Mainland, in March, 2006. Lai then made visits to Hong Kong after the "marriage", falsely declaring to the Immigration control officers that she came to visit her resident husband.
Chen Huiqiong, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of making false representation to an Immigration officer and was jailed for 16 months.
Chen was intercepted at Lok Ma Chau control point on March 8, 2007. She admitted entering into a false marriage with a Hong Kong resident at a cost of 16,000 renminbi. She intended to use the false marriage to acquire a "90-day visa" endorsement to enter Hong Kong for job seeking and eventually for settlement. She married her bogus husband in Hong Kong, in August, 2005, and then made visits to Hong Kong after the "marriage", falsely declaring to the Immigration control officers that she came to visit her resident husband.
"The Immigration Department has been very concerned with non-Hong Kong residents obtaining stay in Hong Kong by means of bogus marriage," a department spokesman said. "A special task force has been set up to gather intelligence through various avenues and a thorough investigation will be conducted once evidence comes to light. If there is enough evidence, the department will prosecute offenders.
"For people who have obtained their residence in Hong Kong by fraudulent means, their Hong Kong identity card and residence status will be declared invalid according to the laws of Hong Kong. They will also be subject to removal back to their place of origin," the spokesman said.
Under the laws of Hong Kong, anyone who commits the offence of conspiracy is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for 14 years.
It is also an offence to make a false representation to immigration officers. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalty.
Ends/Monday, April 2, 2007
Issued at HKT 17:56
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