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A man, two women and two companies were fined from $2,000 to $6,000 at Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (June 28) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
The courts heard that in November and December last year, officers from the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department conducted inspections at three clubs on Lockhart Road and Percival Street in Causeway Bay, and Staunton Street in Central which had been operating with certificates of compliance (CoCs).
During the investigation at the club on Lockhart Road, the OLA officers posed as customers and patronised the club for food and drinks without being asked to show their membership status or being invited to join the club as members. Condition 19 of the CoC was breached. The woman and the company, being the manager and the CoC holder of the club respectively, were charged with contravening section 21(1)(a) or section 21(2) of the Ordinance.
Apart from serving non-members, the staff of the club on Staunton Street failed to show the registered drawings and the membership register upon the OLA officers' request. Conditions 17, 19 and 20 of the CoC were breached. The woman and the company, being the manager and the CoC holder of the club respectively, were charged with contravening section 21(1)(a) or section 21(2) of the Ordinance.
At the club on Percival Street, in addition to serving non-members the number of people at the club exceeded the maximum allowable capacity as stipulated in the CoC. Also, the club's layout deviated from the registered drawings. Conditions 3, 6 and 19 of the CoC were breached. The man, being the CoC holder of the club, 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/Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Issued at HKT 18:25
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