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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (July 11) called on people not to resort to violence against public officers.
This followed a recent court case in which an illegal hawker was sentenced to nine weeksˇ¦ imprisonment for assaulting public officers and obstructing them in the execution of their duties.
The hawker was also fined a total of $1,800 for hawking without a licence and causing obstruction in a public place.
The incident took place on February 2 when department officers were taking action against illegal hawking in Kwai Chung, a department spokesman said.
In the same case, a man and a woman were also sentenced to four weeksˇ¦ imprisonment for obstructing public officers, with the womanˇ¦s sentence being suspended for 15 months.
"Use of force against public officers is not only wrong, but also carries serious legal consequences," the spokesman warned.
"People should co-operate with law enforcement officers in the execution of their duties."
Ends/Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:07
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