Duo charged over illegal employment of Mainland music students
2000-7-5
A music director and his mother appeared in Eastern Court this (Wednesday) morning on charges of illegally employing Mainland students studying at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts (APA).
Wong Hae, 27, Music Director of Hong Kong Arts Performing Ensemble (Ensemble) and his mother Li Yuen-yung, 57, a part-time teacher of APA, were charged by the ICAC.
No plea was taken today. Magistrate Ian Candy adjourned the case until July 20 this year. The defendants were each granted $5,000 cash bail and ordered not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.
Wong faced 21 counts of employing Gao Si-jia, Han Ying and Chen Dong-xiao who were not lawfully employable between July 1998 and May 1999, contrary to the Immigration Ordinance.
Li was charged with 20 counts of aiding and abetting Wong to commit the alleged offences during the same period.
Gao, Han and Chen were Mainland students who came to Hong Kong on student entry permits issued by the Immigration Department to attend courses at the Department of Chinese Music of the School of Music of APA.
Under the student entry permits, they were prohibited from taking any paid or unpaid employment in Hong Kong.
Wong was alleged to have employed these students as artists to perform Chinese music for a hotel and the then Provisional Urban Council. His mother was accused of aiding and abetting him.
Wong and Li respectively faced 21 and 20 counts of alternative charges.
Such charges alleged them of aiding and abetting, counselling and procuring the three Mainland students to contravene a condition of stay in in Hong Kong as students of APA, by performing in musical concerts for rewards with the Ensemble without the permi ssion of the Director of Immigration.
The ICAC investigated this case after receiving a corruption complaint. Though the original corruption allegation was found to be unsubstantiated, the duo were suspected to have breached the Immigration Ordinance.
In accordance with the legal advice of Department of Justice, the ICAC continued to handle the case and prosecution was brought against the defendants.
Senior Government Counsel Y.M. Liu, assisted by ICAC officer Brenda Wong, represented the prosecution today.
Wong Hae, 27, Music Director of Hong Kong Arts Performing Ensemble (Ensemble) and his mother Li Yuen-yung, 57, a part-time teacher of APA, were charged by the ICAC.
No plea was taken today. Magistrate Ian Candy adjourned the case until July 20 this year. The defendants were each granted $5,000 cash bail and ordered not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.
Wong faced 21 counts of employing Gao Si-jia, Han Ying and Chen Dong-xiao who were not lawfully employable between July 1998 and May 1999, contrary to the Immigration Ordinance.
Li was charged with 20 counts of aiding and abetting Wong to commit the alleged offences during the same period.
Gao, Han and Chen were Mainland students who came to Hong Kong on student entry permits issued by the Immigration Department to attend courses at the Department of Chinese Music of the School of Music of APA.
Under the student entry permits, they were prohibited from taking any paid or unpaid employment in Hong Kong.
Wong was alleged to have employed these students as artists to perform Chinese music for a hotel and the then Provisional Urban Council. His mother was accused of aiding and abetting him.
Wong and Li respectively faced 21 and 20 counts of alternative charges.
Such charges alleged them of aiding and abetting, counselling and procuring the three Mainland students to contravene a condition of stay in in Hong Kong as students of APA, by performing in musical concerts for rewards with the Ensemble without the permi ssion of the Director of Immigration.
The ICAC investigated this case after receiving a corruption complaint. Though the original corruption allegation was found to be unsubstantiated, the duo were suspected to have breached the Immigration Ordinance.
In accordance with the legal advice of Department of Justice, the ICAC continued to handle the case and prosecution was brought against the defendants.
Senior Government Counsel Y.M. Liu, assisted by ICAC officer Brenda Wong, represented the prosecution today.