Four owners fined nearly $200,000 in total for not complying with removal orders
Four owners were convicted and fined $196,050 in total at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on Wednesday (March 25) for failing to comply with removal orders issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).
The West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, the West Kowloon Law Courts Building
The three cases involved three domestic units of the same building on Lei Muk Road, Kwai Chung, each with an unauthorised structure of about 43 square metres built on its roof. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), removal orders were served on the respective owners under section 24(1) of the BO.
Failing to comply with removal orders, the four owners were prosecuted by the BD two times and were fined a cumulative total of $93,450 upon convictions by the court. As they persisted in not complying with the removal orders, they were prosecuted for the third time and were fined $196,050 in total upon convictions by the court, of which $166,050 was the fine for the number of days that the offences continued.
A spokesman for the BD said today (March 27), "UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who fail to comply with removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building and public safety."
Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year's imprisonment, and a further fine of up to $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.
Source: AI-found images
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong
The "Great Music 2026", presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will bring a world-renowned orchestra and musicians to Hong Kong from June to December, offering music lovers a stellar line-up of performances. Details of the programmes are as follows:
"Gewandhausorchester Leipzig" concerts
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Date and time: June 2 and 3 (Tuesday and Wednesday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Ticket prices: $450 to $1,600
The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig of Germany, with a history spanning over 280 years, will return to Hong Kong after a seven-year hiatus. Under the baton of its music director and conductor Andris Nelsons, the first concert will feature two iconic works that received their premieres in Leipzig with the orchestra in the first half of the 19th century: Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto and Schumann's Symphony No. 1 "Spring". The second concert will present Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10. The piano concertos in both concerts will be performed with soloist Yulianna Avdeeva, first prize winner of the 16th International Chopin Piano Competition.
This visit also marks the Hong Kong debut of Nelsons, one of the most sought-after conductors of our time, who has collaborated with world-class orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Berliner Philharmoniker. His acclaimed complete recordings of Shostakovich symphonies have also garnered Grammy Awards. These two concerts, with an impressive line-up of international top-tier orchestra, conductor and pianist, promise to be an unmissable highlight of the year for music lovers.
Duo Recital by Rafa Blechacz (Piano) and Bomsori Kim (Violin)
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Date and time: June 22 (Monday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Ticket prices: $280 to $680
Polish pianist Rafa Blechacz, winner of the 15th International Chopin Piano Competition, and Korean violinist Bomsori Kim, laureate of the 15th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition, have developed a close artistic partnership in recent years. Together they have recorded an award-winning album and toured as a duo at prestigious halls worldwide. Making their reunion on stage in Hong Kong, the duo will present a programme spanning classical and early modern repertoire, featuring works by Beethoven, Paderewski, Franck and Szymanowski.
Violin Recital by Renaud Capuçon
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Date and time: October 11 (Sunday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Ticket prices: $280 to $680
Renaud Capuçon is one of the most acclaimed violinists of our time. He has performed as a soloist and conductor with leading orchestras in various venues and served as music director of prominent festivals. The French violinist will return to Hong Kong to present a programme that is entirely dedicated to Brahms and his three sonatas for violin.
Duo Recital by Sol Gabetta (Cello) & Patricia Kopatchinskaja (Violin)
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Date and time: November 2 (Monday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Ticket prices: $280 to $680
Grammy Award-winning violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and cellist Sol Gabetta, laureate of the Opus Klassik Award, enchant the classical music world as dazzling and vibrant soloists and as duo partners for more than 20 years with their distinctive style of performance. In this recital, they will present an assortment of short pieces across eras - from all-time classics Ravel's sonata and Kodály's duo for violin and cello, along with a few forays (by Leclair and Bach) into the Baroque period, to works by the 20th- and 21st-century composers the artists favour, including Widmann, Ligeti, Xenakis, as well as Kopatchinskaja's own composition. This Hong Kong recital debut of the duo will surely revitalise the evening with virtuosity and zest.
Piano Recital by Jan Lisiecki
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Date and time: December 6 (Sunday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Ticket prices: $250 to $550
Transitioned from a piano prodigy to an internationally acclaimed musician, Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki works closely with the foremost conductors and orchestras of his time, and his albums have garnered numerous prestigious awards. After an eight-year absence, he will return to present a dance-themed solo recital programme for Hong Kong audiences. Featuring works by Martin, Falla, Szymanowski, Schubert, Bartók, Ginastera, Chopin, Brahms, Piazzolla and Albéniz, Lisiecki traces a musical journey that embraces traditions and geographies, from the refinement of the waltz to the blazing energy of the tango.
Tickets for the above-mentioned programmes will be available from March 30 (Monday) onwards at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. A 30 per cent early bird discount will be offered from March 30 until April 12 (Sunday) for each purchase of standard tickets of any two or more performances of "Great Music 2026" (which should include "Gewandhausorchester Leipzig" concerts). For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/groups_1946.html.
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
