************************************************************
A woman was sentenced to two months' jail, suspended for two years, and fined $4,000 at Kowloon City Magistrates' Court today (November 18) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
The court heard that officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse in Dundas Street, Mong Kok, in September 2007. An OLA officer posed as a lodger and successfully rented a room with accommodation facilities on a daily basis. Officers later found six rooms with similar accommodation facilities in the premises.
According to the OLA's record, the premises did not have a valid certificate of exemption or a license on the inspection day. The female manager of the unlicensed guesthouse was charged with contravening Section 5(1) of the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
A department spokesman stressed that it was a criminal offence to operate or manage an unlicensed guesthouse and enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal guesthouse operations to ensure the safety of lodgers.
He appealed to the public to call the OLA hotline (2881 7498), send e-mail (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk) or download a report form from the website (www.hadla.gov.hk) to report any suspected unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA.
Ends/Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Issued at HKT 17:10
NNNN