XN000022-1994-11-10 — Page 11

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1994

TRADERS FINED $851,000 FOR FALSE CLAIM TO GARMENT ORIGIN

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THREE TRADERS TODAY (THURSDAY) WERE FINED A TOTAL OF $851,000 BY A SAN PO KONG MAGISTRATE FOR APPLYING A FALSE TRADE DESCRIPTION AND FALSELY DECLARING THE ORIGIN OF SOME LADIES' GARMENTS,

THE THREE DEFENDANTS PLEADED GUILTY TO APPLYING A FALSE TRADE DESCRIPTION "MADE IN THE BRITISH CROWN COLONY OF HONG KONG" ΤΟ 808 DOZENS OF LADIES' GARMENTS AND FALSELY DECLARING THE ORIGIN OF 4.228 DOZENS OF LADIES' GARMENTS IN 10 APPLICATIONS FOR EXPORT LICENCES AND SIX APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN.

THE GOODS INVOLVED WORTH $2.85 MILLION AND WERE FOR EXPORT THE USA.

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THE THREE TRADERS WERE FUNG SIU-YING, SHIPPING MANAGER OF UNIVERSAL GARMENT COMPANY; CHAN CHIK-TUNG, PROPRIETOR OF TAI TUNG (YUK KEE) GARMENT FACTORY AND YAU CHOI-KING, DIRECTOR OF THREE GOOD GARMENT.

THE COURT HEARD THAT AN INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED BY OFFICERS OF THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT REVEALED THAT THESE GARMENTS WERE MANUFACTURED BY A FACTORY IN CHINA.

ANOTHER GARMENT MANUFACTURER AND ITS DIRECTOR WERE FINED A TOTAL OF $320,000 FOR GIVING FALSE INFORMATION IN TWO APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATE OF HONG KONG ORIGIN AND MAKING FALSE STATEMENT IN TWO APPLICATIONS FOR EXPORT LICENCE.

THE DEFENDANTS WERE TESTONI KNITTING FACTORY LIMITED AND ITS DIRECTOR CHENG PING WING, ANTONIO.

THE GOODS VALUED AT $1.5 MILLION FOR EXPORT то THE USA, GERMANY AND AUSTRIA WERE MADE IN CHINA.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) THAT THE OFFENCES WERE SERIOUS.

OFFICERS OF THE DEPARTMENT WOULD STEP UP THEIR ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS TO TRACK DOWN SUCH MALPRACTICES TO PROTECT THE COMMERCIAL REPUTATION OF HONG KONG AND TO ENSURE THAT THE CONFIDENCE OF ITS TRADING PARTNERS IN HONG KONG'S TEXTILES CONTROL SYSTEM WOULD NOT BE UNDERMINED BY SOME DISHONEST BUSINESSMEN.

THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR GIVING FALSE INFORMATION IN A CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN APPLICATION OR AN IMPORT NOTIFICATION IS $500,000 FINE PLUS TWO YEARS IMPRISONMENT ON EACH COUNT OF OFFENCE. THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR MAKING A FALSE STATEMENT IN AN EXPORT APPLICATION IS THE SAME.

LICENCE

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