Company fined for illegal club operations

     A company was fined $6,000 at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (June 12) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
      
     The courts heard that in October last year, officers from the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department conducted inspections at a club on Yee Wo Street in Causeway Bay which had been operating with a certificate of compliance (CoC).
      
     The OLA officers posed as customers and patronised the club for drinks without being asked to show their membership status or being invited to join the club as members. Also, the staff of the club failed to show the registered drawings upon the OLA officers' request. Conditions 17 and 19 of the CoC were breached.
      
     The company, 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 would continue to be taken against illegal club operations.