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A woman and two companies were fined $6,000, $3,000 and $3,000 respectively today (July 13) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
The Eastern Magistrates' Courts heard that in May last year and April this year, the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department inspected three clubhouses which had been operating with a certificate of compliance (CoC). The clubhouses were in Wanchai Road, Wan Chai, and Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay. During the investigations, OLA officers, posing as customers, patronised the clubs for food and drinks without being asked to show their membership status and without being invited to join the club as members. Moreover, clubhouse staff could not show the updated membership registers upon OLA officers' request. Conditions 19 and 20 of the CoC were breached.
Furthermore, the actual layout of one of the clubs in Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay, deviated from the registered drawing, with an increased number of tables and chairs. One of the exit routes in the clubhouse was also found to be obstructed. Conditions 3 and 9 of the CoC were breached.
The woman and the two companies, being the CoC holders of the above three clubs, were subsequently charged with contravening section 21(2) of the ordinance.
A spokesman for the department said enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal clubhouse operations.
Ends/Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:20
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