Agility Motors Limited and its director were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for failing to make timely payment of wages to employees in accordance with the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company and its director pleaded guilty at Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (March 19) and were each fined $68,000, making a total fine of $136,000.

     The company failed to pay six employees' wages totalling around $1,219,000 within seven days after the expiry of the respective wage periods as required by the EO. The director was convicted for his consent, connivance or neglect in the above offence.

     "The ruling will disseminate a strong message to all employers, directors and responsible officers of companies that they have to pay wages to employees within the statutory time limit stipulated in the EO," a spokesman for the LD said.

     "The LD will not tolerate these offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees' statutory rights," the spokesman added.

     The Government has published the Crimes (Amendment) Bill 2021 (the Bill) in the Gazette today (March 19). The Bill seeks to introduce specific offences against voyeurism, non-consensual recording of intimate parts and publication of intimate images without consent.
 
     A spokesman for the Security Bureau said, "The Review of Sexual Offences Sub-committee of the Law Reform Commission (LRC) published the Report on Voyeurism and Non-consensual Upskirt-Photography in April 2019, recommending the introduction of offences against relevant acts. The Government accepts the LRC's recommendations and had launched a three-month public consultation in July 2020. The public generally supported the legislative proposals."
 
     The spokesman said, "After considering of the views from the public and the Panel on Security of the Legislative Council, the Government proposes amendments to the Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200) to introduce specific offences against voyeurism, non-consensual recording of intimate parts and publication of intimate images without consent. The new offences each carry a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment. The Government also proposes to provide in the legislation that it is a defence for a person charged for any one of the proposed new offences (excluding offences committed for a sexual purpose) to establish that the person had lawful authority or reasonable excuse for the contravention."
 
     The Government will introduce the Bill into the Legislative Council on March 24 for First and Second Reading.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 19) that in view of a notification from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Kalundborg Municipality and Langeland Municipality in Denmark, and a notification from the General Veterinary Inspectorate of Poland about outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Krapkowicki District of Opolskie Region in Poland, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 1 640 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 1.33 million poultry eggs from Denmark and about 13 500 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 39.08 million poultry eggs from Poland last year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Danish and Polish authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

     Hong Kong Customs has mounted an enforcement operation codenamed "Thunder III" in the past two weeks to combat illicit cigarette telephone-ordering activities in public rental housing (PRH). A total of about 1 million suspected illicit cigarettes were seized across the territory with an estimated market value of about $2.7 million and a duty potential of about $1.9 million. Forty-two persons were arrested.

     During the operation, Customs officers detected 41 relevant cases in different districts, including Lam Tin, Kwun Tong, Wong Tai Sin, Sham Shui Po, Kwai Chung, Tsuen Wan, Tai Po, Sheung Shui, Tin Shui Wai and Tuen Mun, resulting in the above-mentioned seizures of suspected illicit cigarettes. In those cases, Customs officers have raided three suspected illicit cigarette storages and detained a private car suspected to be used for illicit cigarette distribution.

     In the above-mentioned cases, 35 men and seven women, aged between 16 and 74, were arrested, including both illicit cigarette sellers and buyers. All the cases have been duly followed up.

     Customs started the "Thunder" special operation in September last year to step up enforcement against illicit cigarette activities in PRH. The operation has been in its third phase till now and will be continued.

     Customs has all along been enhancing enforcement against illicit cigarette activities on all fronts, including cross-boundary smuggling, storage and distribution as well as peddling, through intelligence analysis. If PRH units are found to be involved in illicit cigarette activities, Customs will notify the Housing Department for follow-up action after the conclusion of court proceedings.

     Customs reminds members of the public that selling and buying of illicit cigarettes are illegal. Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

     The Government today (March 19) announced the appointment of Mr Ian Leung Kin-wai and Ms Vriko Yu Pik-fan, through the Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth, as new members to the Country and Marine Parks Board (CMPB) from today until August 31, 2021, i.e. the same end date as that of the current term of other existing members.
 
     In accordance with the Country Parks Ordinance (Cap. 208) and the Marine Parks Ordinance (Cap. 476), the CMPB shall consider and advise the Country and Marine Parks Authority on the policy and programmes in respect of country parks and special areas, as well as marine parks and marine reserves.
 
     The membership list is as follows:
 
Chairman
————————
Professor Ling Kar-kan
 
Non-official members
————————
Mr Chan Ka-kui
Ms Beatrice Chan Po-kam
Mr Cheung Siu-keung
Dr Lewis Cheung Ting-on
Dr Apple Chui Pui-yi
Professor He Shenjing
Professor Desmond Hui Cheuk-kuen
Ms Judy Kiu Kin-yan
Dr David Lau Tai-wai
Dr Amelia Lee Nam-yuk
Mr Charles Lee Yee-keung
Mr Ian Leung Kin-wai *
Professor Kenneth Leung Mei-yee
Professor Ng Sai-leung
Mr Ken So Kwok-yin
Dr Tang Chin-cheung
Ms Nicole Wong Pik-yan
Ms Yip Yan-yan
Mr Yu Hon-kwan
Ms Vriko Yu Pik-fan *
 
* New members appointed through the Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth
 
Official members
——————-

• Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation (ex-officio)
• Deputy Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation with Assistant Director (Country and Marine Parks) as alternate member
• Director of Environmental Protection with Assistant Director (Nature Conservation) as alternate member
• Director of Home Affairs with Deputy Director (1) or Assistant Director (2) as alternate member
• Director of Lands with Assistant Director (Specialist 2) as alternate member
• Director of Leisure and Cultural Services with Assistant Director (Leisure Services) 3 as alternate member
• Director of Marine with Assistant Director (Port Control) as alternate member
• Director of Planning with Assistant Director (New Territories) as alternate member
• Director of Water Supplies with Assistant Director (Development) as alternate member