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Two Mainland men involved in marriages of convenience were jailed after appearing in Sha Tin Magistrates' Court today (April 13).
Chen Chuanxiong, 36, 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.
Chen was intercepted on arrival at Lo Wu control point on March 20 and subsequently admitted that he had agreed with a middleman to enter into a false marriage with a Hong Kong resident at a cost of 35,000 renminbi. He intended to use the false marriage to acquire a "90-day visit" endorsement to enter Hong Kong for illegal work and eventually for settlement. He married his bogus wife on the Mainland, in September, 2006. Chen then made visit to Hong Kong after the "marriage", falsely declaring to the Immigration control officer that he came to visit his resident wife.
In the second case, Sun Zetian, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of making false representation to an Immigration officer and was jailed for 12 months.
Sun admitted that he had entered into a false marriage with a Hong Kong resident at a cost of $27,000. 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 in Hong Kong, in June, 2006, 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.
"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/Friday, April 13, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:53
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