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The following is issued on behalf of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority:
Two scheme members of Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Scheme were convicted today (March 2) and fined $12,000 at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts for breaching section 43E of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance by making false and misleading statement in a document submitted to the approved MPF trustee.
The defendant, Lau Cheuk Wang was charged with the offence under Section 43E of Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance for making false and misleading statement to the trustee and was fined $7,000.
While the defendant, Chow Heung Lung was charged with the offence under Section 43E of Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance for making false and misleading statement to the trustee and was fined $5,000.
According to the prosecution, the defendants applied to their trustees on February 18 and August 13, 2008 respectively for early withdrawal of their MPF accrued benefits on the ground of permanent departure. Investigation by the MPFA found that the defendants had deliberately provided false statements of permanent departure but in fact they did not depart from Hong Kong permanently.
An MPFA spokesperson said the MPFA would continue to take tough enforcement actions against this kind of offence. The MPFA also urged scheme members not to try defying the law, the spokesperson added.
Ends/Monday, March 2, 2009
Issued at HKT 18:31
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