6 March 2023
A Mainland male was charged at the Sha Tin Magistrates' Courts with one count of making false representation to an Immigration Department (ImmD) staff member, and was sentenced to six months' imprisonment on March 3.
The 58-year-old defendant arrived in Hong Kong as a visitor. During his stay, the defendant submitted applications for an extension of stay to the ImmD, and claimed his reason for the extension was for visiting his wife in Hong Kong. The ImmD later found out that the defendant's wife had passed away in Hong Kong prior to the defendant's arrival, and thus began an investigation against the defendant.
In the course of the investigation, the defendant admitted under caution that when submitting the extension applications, he declared to Immigration staff that he was to visit his wife in Hong Kong, although he clearly knew that his wife had passed away. The defendant was subsequently charged with the offence of making false representation to Immigration staff for the reason of extension. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to six months' imprisonment by the Sha Tin Magistrates' Courts on March 3.
"Under the laws of Hong Kong, any person who makes false representation to an Immigration officer commits an offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, subject to the maximum penalty of a fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years," an ImmD spokesman said.