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Four Mainland residents and a Hong Kong man involved in marriages of convenience were all jailed after appearing in Sha Tin Magistrates' Court today (May 2).
In the first case, a Mainland woman Zhan Yalian, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud and one count of making false representation to an Immigration Officer and was given an effective sentence of 12 months.
Zhan was intercepted at a control point in April as her marriage with a Hong Kong resident was suspected to be false. She admitted that she had agreed with a middleman to enter into a false marriage at a cost of 22,000 renminbi. She intended to use the false marriage to acquire a "90-day visit" endorsement to enter Hong Kong and eventually for settlement. She married her bogus husband in Hong Kong, in October, 2006. Zhan then made visits to Hong Kong after the "marriage", falsely declaring to the Immigration control officers that she came to visit her resident husband.
Mainland woman Chen Dongmei, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud and three counts of making false representation to an Immigration officer and was given an effective sentence of 18 months.
Chen admitted that she had entered into a false marriage at a cost of $17,000. She intended to use the false marriage to acquire a "90-day visit" endorsement to enter Hong Kong for illegal work. She married her bogus husband in Hong Kong, in May, 2005, and then made visits to Hong Kong after the "marriage", falsely declaring to the Immigration control officers that she came to visit her resident husband.
The third case involved 22-year-old Mainland man Zhuo Zhijin who pleaded guilty to four counts of making false representation to an Immigration officer and one count of conspiracy to defraud. He was given an effective sentence of 21 months.
Zhuo was intercepted at Lo Wu control point in April. His purpose of visit was in doubt so he was detained for further enquiry. He admitted that he entered a false marriage for the purpose of acquiring a "90-day visit" endorsement to enter Hong Kong to work illegally. He married his bogus wife on the Mainland in July, 2006, at a cost of 30,000 renminbi. He then made visits to Hong Kong after the "marriage", falsely declaring to the Immigration control officers that he came to visit his resident wife.
The last case involved a Mainland woman, Lai Xu, 43, who pleaded guilty to three counts of making false representation to an Immigration officer and one count of conspiracy to defraud. She was given an effective sentence of 15 months. Her bogus husband, Hong Kong resident 49-year-old Lau Pak-hung also pleaded guilty to three counts of aiding and abetting the making of false representation to an Immigration officer and two counts of conspiracy to defraud. He was jailed for 24 months.
Lai was intercepted on arrival at Lo Wu control point on April 6 when she alleged that she came to visit Lau. She was questioned as there was doubt on the authenticity of the marriage. She then admitted that she had entered into a false marriage with Lau at a cost of $7,000. She intended to use the false marriage to acquire a "90-day visit" endorsement to enter Hong Kong and eventually for settlement.
Lai's bogus husband, Lau, admitted that he contracted the false marriage with Lai for monetary reward. To facilitate Lai's entry to Hong Kong, Lau twice accompanied her to enter Hong Kong, posing as a genuine couple, with monetary reward of $500 for each trip.
Lau said he was in need of money so he contacted a middleman to arrange him another bogus marriage with a Mainland resident in August, 2005, to facilitate his bogus wife to acquire the a "90-day visit" endorsement to enter Hong Kong and eventually for settlement.
"The Immigration Department has been very concerned with non-Hong Kong residents obtaining stay in Hong Kong by means of marriage of convenience" a department spokesman said. "A special task force has been set up to gather intelligence through various avenues and a thorough investigation will be conducted once evidence comes to light. If there is enough evidence, the department will prosecute offenders.
"For people who have obtained their residence in Hong Kong by fraudulent means, their Hong Kong identity card and residence status will be declared invalid according to the laws of Hong Kong. They will also be subject to removal back to their place of origin," the spokesman said.
Under the laws of Hong Kong, anyone who commits the offence of conspiracy is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for 14 years.
It is also an offence to make a false representation to immigration officers. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalty.
Ends/Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Issued at HKT 20:16
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