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Two Mainland men and two Hong Kong women involved in marriages of convenience were jailed after appearing in Sha Tin Magistrates' Court today (April 12).
In the first case, a Mainland man Zhuang Ruibao, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of making false representation to an Immigration Officer and was given an effective sentence of 12 months. His bogus wife, a Hong Kong resident Mak Yuk-tong, 56, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud and was jailed for 12 months.
Zhuang was intercepted on arrival at Lo Wu control point on March 19. He admitted that he had agreed with a middleman to enter into a false marriage with Mak at a cost of 54,000 renminbi. He intended to use the false marriage to acquire a "90-day visit" endorsement to enter Hong Kong and eventually for settlement. He married his bogus wife Mak on the Mainland, in October, 2001. Zhuang then made visits to Hong Kong after the "marriage", falsely declaring to the Immigration control officers that he came to visit his resident wife.
Mak later admitted that for monetary reward, she had entered into the false marriage with Zhuang and had assisted him to apply for a one-way permit to settle in Hong Kong.
In the second case, Mainland man Chen Jianjun, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of making false representation to an Immigration officer and was given an effective sentence of 12 months. His bogus wife, a Hong Kong resident Leung Ka-yee, 25, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud and was jailed for 16 months.
Chen admitted that he had entered into a false marriage with Leung at a cost of 50,000 renminbi. He intended to use the false marriage to acquire a "90-day visit" endorsement to enter Hong Kong for illegal work. He married his bogus wife in Hong Kong, in July, 2005, and then made visits to Hong Kong after the "marriage", falsely declaring to the Immigration control officers that he came to visit his resident wife.
Leung admitted that for monetary reward, she had entered into false marriages with Chen and another Mainland man in 2005. The Mainland man was jailed over marriage of convenience in February this year.
"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/Thursday, April 12, 2007
Issued at HKT 19:09
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