Property Owner Fined $611,900 for Ignoring Fire Safety Compliance in Sham Shui Po Building

Property owner fined over $610,000 for not complying with fire safety direction

An owner was convicted and fined $611,900, of which $605,900 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Court last Tuesday (September 1) for failing to comply with a statutory direction issued under the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance (FS(B)O) (Cap. 572).

The Kwun Tong Magistrates' Court, the Kwun Tong Law Courts Building

The Buildings Department (BD) issued a statutory direction under Section 5(2)(a)(ii) of the FS(B)O to the owner of a unit of a composite building on Castle Peak Road, Sham Shui Po, requiring the owner to comply with the fire safety construction requirements specified in the direction, which included replacing fire-rated doors and providing fire-rated walls to seal up an unauthorised door opening to the escape staircase.

Failing to comply with the statutory direction, the owner was prosecuted by the BD.

"Failure to comply with a statutory direction without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the FS(B)O. The BD may instigate prosecution proceedings against the owner", a spokesman for the BD said today (September 7).

Pursuant to section 5(8) of the FS(B)O, any person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with a statutory direction, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine at level 6 ($100,000 at present) and to a further fine of $10,000 for each day of non-compliance. Upon conviction, an application may also be made to a court for a Fire Safety Compliance Order against the owner under section 6(1) of the FS(B)O directing the owner to comply with the requirements of the direction.

Any default in complying with the requirements of the direction may also risk the imposition of a Prohibition Order by the District Court under section 7(7) of the FS(B)O prohibiting the occupation of the subject premises.

Source: AI-found images

Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing of duty-not-paid cigarettes

Two incoming male passengers were each sentenced to six months' imprisonment with a fine of $2,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (September 7) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

Customs officers intercepted two incoming Mainland male passengers, aged 32 and 42, at Hong Kong International Airport on September 5 and 6 respectively, seized a total of 61 816 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $280,000 and a duty potential of about $205,000 from their personal baggage. The two passengers were subsequently arrested.

Customs welcomes the sentences. The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflect the seriousness of the offences.

Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing of duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing of duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases