WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1985
13
COMPLAINTS AGAINST +RIP-OFF+ BARS FALL SHARPLY
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AS A RESULT OF THE RECENT PUBLIC WARNING ISSUED BY THE LIQUOR LICENSING BOARD, THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST +RIP-OFF+ BARS OR SIMILAR ESTABLISHMENTS HAS TAPERED OFF SHARPLY AND THE SITUATION APPEARS TO BE MUCH IMPROVED, ACCORDING TO INFORMATION FROM THE POLICE AND THE CONSUMER COUNCIL.
THIS WAS DISCLOSED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE LIQUOR LICENSING BOARD, MR PETER C.K. CHAN, AT THE BOARD'S MEETING TODAY.
+THANKS TO THE WIDE PUBLICITY GIVEN BY THE MASS MED I A OVER THIS ISSUE, BOTH LOCALLY AND OVERSEAS, THE HONG KONG PUBLIC AND VISITING TOURISTS ARE NOW MUCH MORE ON GUARD AGAINST SUCH UNSCRUPULOUS PRACTICES, HE SAID.
NEVERTHELESS, HE SAID, BEING THE LICENSING AUTHORITY FOR LICENSED PREMISES IN THE URBAN AREA, THE BOARD HAD AN ONGOING OBLIGATION TO ENSURE THAT THE OPERATION OF THESE PREMISES WAS SOCIALLY AND MORALLY ACCEPTABLE.
+WITH THE HELP OF THE POLICE AND THE CONSUMER COUNCIL, A CLOSE WATCH IS BEING KEPT ON BARS NAMED IN EARLIER COMPLAINTS, THE LICENSEES OF WHICH SEEM TO HAVE HEEDED OUR WARNING THAT ANY CONVICTION UNDER THE RELEVANT REGULATIONS RELATING TO THE BOARD'S POWERS MAY LEAD TO THE TERMINATION OF THE LICENCE OF THE BARS CONCERNED.
+THESE LICENSEES ARE WARNED THAT MORE CHECKS AND INSPECTIONS WILL BE CONTINUED, AND FOLLOW-UP ACTION TAKEN BY THE BOARD IF AND WHEN ANY JUSTIFIABLE COMPLAINT IS LODGED,+ HE SAID.
LICENSEE RETAINS LIQUOR LICENCE AFTER LEGAL ARGUMENT
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A LONG ARGUMENT OVER LEGAL POINTS TOOK PLACE TODAY BEFORE THE LIQUOR LICENSING BOARD WHEN THE POLICE FAILED IN AN APPLICATION FOR REVOCATION OF THE LIQUOR LICENCE OF THE SUI SHA YA JAPANESE RESTAURANT IN CHATHAM ROAD, TSIM SHA TSUI.
THE POLICE CLAIMED THAT THE LICENSEE, MR LEE KWOK-KWAN, HAD +ABANDONED+ THE PREMISES AS HE WAS NOT PRESENT THERE ON NINE OCCASIONS DURING THE PAST 12 MONTHS. EVIDENCE WAS ALSO GIVEN THAT THREE SERIOUS ASSAULT CASES TOOK PLACE ON THE PREMISES BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH THIS YEAR. AND THAT 12 STAFF MEMBERS OF THE ESTABLISHMENT HAD CRIMINAL RECORDS.
/DISPUTING THE