Woman fined for illegal club operations
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     A woman was fined $9,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (June 4) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance (the Ordinance).

     The courts heard that in November last year, officers from the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of Home Affairs Department conducted an inspection at a club in Sai Yeung Choi Street South in Mong Kok, which has been operating with a certificate of compliance (CoC). The OLA officers posed as customers and patronised the club without being asked to show their membership status or being invited to join the club. The OLA officers also found that the club's layout deviated from the registered drawings. The club staff also failed to show the registered drawings upon OLA officers' request. Conditions 3, 17 and 19 of the CoC were breached.

     The woman, being the CoC holders, was charged with contravening section 21(2) of the Ordinance.

     A spokesman for the department reminded all CoC holders to comply with the conditions as stipulated therein. Enforcement action will continue to be taken against illegal club operations.

Ends/Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:01

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