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The following is issued on behalf of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority:
A Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) scheme member was convicted today (September 27) and fined $6,000 at the Kwun Tong Magistracy for breaching section 43E(1) of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance by making false and misleading statements in documents to an MPF trustee.
According to the prosecution, the defendant, Ortiz Maria Mae Marquez, applied to the trustee on May 22, 2009, for early withdrawal of her MPF accrued benefit on the grounds of permanent departure. Investigation by the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) found that the defendant had recklessly provided false and misleading statements in claiming that she had not previously claimed payment of accrued benefit on the grounds of permanent departure on an earlier departure date. The defendant pleaded guilty and was fined $6,000.
Meanwhile, the MPFA successfully pursued a claim in the Small Claims Tribunal for some $6,000 on behalf of an employee, who was owed MPF contributions by his employer.
At the Tribunal's hearing today, the defendant, James Sawyer Supply Company Limited, did not appear. In its absence, the Adjudicator ordered it to pay the MPFA $6,300, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The amount awarded will be reimbursed to the employee's MPF account as soon as it is received by the MPFA. The Adjudicator further ordered the defendant to pay $184 as the costs of the claim.
Ends/Monday, September 27, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:16
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