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A Mainland man and Hong Kong woman, involved in a false marriage case, were both jailed after appearing in Sha Tin Magistrates' Court today (June 4).
Zhu Jianjiao, 32, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of making false representation to an Immigration Officer. He was given an effective sentence of 24 months. His bogus wife, a Hong Kong resident Chan Sui Yee, 52, was convicted one count of conspiracy to defraud and was jailed for 18 months.
Zhu was intercepted at Lo Wu control point in February, and admitted that he had agreed with a middleman to enter into a false marriage with Chan at a cost of $20,000. He intended to make use of the false marriage to acquire a "90-day visit" endorsement to enter Hong Kong and eventually for settlement. He married his bogus wife Chan in Hong Kong in July last year and then made visits to Hong Kong, falsely declaring to Immigration control officers that he came to visit his resident wife.
Chan later admitted that she had entered into the false marriage with Zhu for money and had assisted him to apply for a one-way permit to settle in Hong Kong.
"The Immigration Department has been very concerned with non-Hong Kong residents obtaining stay in Hong Kong by means of marriage of convenience," 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, June 4, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:45
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