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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1994
GARMENT MANUFACTURER AND EXPORTER
FINED FOR FALSE ORIGIN CLAIM
*
FINED A
A GARMENT MANUFACTURER AND A GARMENT EXPORTER WERE TOTAL OF $455,000 BY A MAGISTRATE, MR GARRY TALLENTIRE, AT THE SAN PO KONG MAGISTRACY FOR MAKING FALSE STATEMENT IN 12 EXPORT LICENCE APPLICATIONS AND EXPORT NOTIFICATIONS.
WELL-MATE GARMENTS LTD AND JUPITEX INTERNATIONAL LTD PLEADED GUILTY TO 15 COUNTS AND SIX COUNTS RESPECTIVELY OF FALSELY DECLARING 16,380 PIECES OF CHINA-MADE LADIES' BLOUSES AS OF HONG KONG ORIGIN. THE GOODS, VALUED AT $1.53 MILLION, WERE FOR EXPORT ΤΟ AUSTRIA,
GERMANY AND HUNGARY.
THE COURT HEARD THAT BETWEEN NOVEMBER THIS YEAR, OFFICERS OF THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE INFORMATION, CONDUCTED INVESTIGATION.
LAST YEAR AND JANUARY DEPARTMENT, ACTING ON
THEY FOUND THAT THE GARMENT MANUFACTURER HAD DIRECTLY THE ENTIRE PRODUCTION OF THE BLOUSES TO BE DONE IN CHINA.
THE GARMENT EXPORTER WAS ALSO AWARE OF SUBCONTRACTING ARRANGEMENT.
ARRANGED
THE CHINESE
IN ORDER ΤΟ FACILITATE THE ISSUANCE OF HONG KONG EXPORT LICENCE APPLICATIONS AND EXPORT NOTIFICATIONS, THE TWO DEFENDANT COMPANIES MADE FALSE STATEMENT THAT THE GOODS WERE OF HONG KONG ORIGIN.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT TODAY (THURSDAY) SAID THE OFFENCES WERE SERIOUS.
"OFFICERS OF THE DEPARTMENT WOULD STEP UP ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS TO TRACK DOWN SUCH CASES.
"THE AIM IS TO PROTECT THE COMMERCIAL REPUTATION OF HONG KONG AND TO ENSURE THAT THE CONFIDENCE OF ITS TRADING PARTNERS IN OUR TEXTILE LICENSING CONTROL SYSTEM WOULD NOT BE UNDERMINED BY SOME DISHONEST BUSINESSMEN," HE SAID.
THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR MAKING FALSE STATEMENT IN A LICENCE APPLICATION IS $500,000 FINE PLUS TWO YEARS' IMPRISONMENT ON EACH COUNT OF OFFENCE.
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