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A Hong Kong resident has been jailed for three months after pleading guilty in Sha Tin Magistrates' Court yesterday (April 8) to a charge relating to the illegal deployment of a foreign domestic helper.
Chong Chi-sun, 48, was convicted of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the breach of condition of stay of the helper.
On March 9, an immigration officer, posing as a customer, went into a hair salon for hair washing. An Indonesian female, Ana-Nuraini, was instructed by Chong to serve the officer. An identity check was carried out and Ana-Nuraini was found to be a domestic helper in Hong Kong and Chong was her contractual employer. Both were arrested.
Chong admitted that he was the sole proprietor of the salon and he had deployed Ana-Nuraini to work in his salon since last July.
"A helper should perform only domestic duties for the employer specified in the contract approved by Director of Immigration. The employer should not require or allow the helper to carry out any non-domestic work, or to perform domestic work at any address other than that specified in the contract," an Immigration Department spokesman said.
"The employer should also not allow the helper to carry out any work for another person. Offenders will be liable to criminal prosecution and on conviction to a fine of $50,000 and to imprisonment for two years. Any aider and abettor will have the same punishment.กจ
It is also an offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. The maximum penalty is a fine of $350,000 and imprisonment for three years.
Ends/Thursday, April 9, 2009
Issued at HKT 17:21
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