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A mainland man involved in marriage of convenience was jailed after appearing in Sha Tin Magistrates' Court today (May 3).
Feng Mengbin, 43, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud and three counts of making false representation to an Immigration Officer. He was given an effective sentence of 24 months.
Feng was intercepted on arrival at Lo Wu control point on January 5 after doubts were raised about the purpose of visit. He subsequently admitted that he had agreed with a middleman to enter into a false marriage in September, 2005, with a Hong Kong resident at a cost of 3,000 renminbi.
He intended to use the false marriage to acquire a "90-day" endorsement to visit Hong Kong but in fact was going to use it for job hunting. Feng 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.
Ends/Thursday, May 3, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:30
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