Syndicate supplying restaurants with illegal workers smashed

 

Investigators display evidence seized during the raids on the syndicate

The Immigration Department (ImmD) has smashed an illegal worker syndicate posing as a labor contractor supplying cleaners to restaurants.

The syndicate was unmasked in anti-illegal worker operations codenamed "Fireblade" conducted by Immigration’s Special Investigation Section from October 10 to 12.

A total of five syndicate members, 20 suspected illegal workers and eight suspected employers were arrested in raids on 16 premises.

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In separate joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force codenamed "Champion" and "Windsand" on October 10 and 12, ImmD also arrested six suspected illegal workers, three suspected employers and four overstayers.

In a statement, Immigration said the syndicate had been under investigation since earlier this year.

After months of investigation and intelligence analysis, the ImmD identified the syndicate providing cleaning services to restaurants, claiming to provide lawfully employable workers while recruiting illegal workers at a lower cost.

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“The ImmD believed that the syndicate had operated for more than six months” it said in a tatement. “Over 50 restaurants were involved and the value of outsourced contracts ranged from $20,000 to $50,000. It is estimated that the total amount of transaction handled by this syndicate exceeded $17 million.”

In operation Fireblade, the ImmD had raided four residential premises and 12 restaurants.

Of the 33 persons arrested, five were syndicate members aged 25 to 64, 20 suspected illegal workers and eight suspected employers.

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The arrested workers comprise six men and 14 women, aged 23 to 55, and reported to be mostly Indonesians. Among them, two were holders of recognizance forms which prohibit them from taking any employment.

Three forged Hong Kong identity cards were unearthed and a considerable number of items were seized including bank statements, employment contracts, mobile phones and computer equipment. The investigation is still ongoing, and more persons involved in the case may be arrested.

In its other operation, ImmD and police operatives arrested six suspected illegal workers, three suspected employers and four overstayers.

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During operation "Champion", officers raided 41 target locations in Sham Shui Po District, including garages, premises under renovation, residential buildings and retail shops. Three suspected illegal workers, three suspected employers and four overstayers were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised one man and two women, aged 32 to 53. In addition, one woman was also suspected of using and being in possession of a forged Hong Kong identity card.

Three male and one female overstayers, aged 39 to 47, were arrested. Three men, aged 27 to 57, were suspected of employing the illegal workers and were also arrested. Among them, two suspected illegal workers, three suspected employers and four overstayers were handled by the ImmD.

A suspected illegal worker is taken in for investigation.

In operation "Windsand", three male Mainland visitors, aged 28 to 50, were arrested for breaching their condition of stay by being involved in suspected illegal parallel trading activities at Ka Fu Close and areas around San Wan Road in Sheung Shui district. The goods were healthcare products and skincare products.

"As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business,” the ImmD said.

“ Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment. Under the prevailing laws, it is an offense to use or possess a forged Hong Kong identity card or a Hong Kong identity card related to another person. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $100,000 and up to 10 years' imprisonment," it added.

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Health expert urges public to get flu shots

 

Hui says getting a flu jab is more urgent than going for a Covid-19 booster shot

A top health adviser to the Hong Kong government has called on the public to get vaccinated against the flu as the influenza season is expected to overlap with a coronavirus outbreak next month.

The warning from respiratory expert Dr David Hui of the Chinese University came as 37 people came down with a severe bout with the flu last week, and 21 died as a result.

Only 15 of the severely infected patients were vaccinated.

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Hui said it was more important for people to get vaccinated against the flu than get a Covid-19 booster.

“We have not come across the flu for three years so it would be tough for those who get infected,” Hui said in a radio programme.

In contrast, he said many people had already been inoculated or infected with the coronavirus in the past three years so its symptoms have become mild.

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He also said it was important for people to get a flu shot this year even if they had one last year because the new jabs covered the latest strains highlighted by the World Health Organization.

A total of 232 severe flu cases have already been recorded since the start of the summer flu season in August this year, with 141 deaths to date.

Public health clinics have begun giving free flu shots starting on October 5 to people aged 65 and above,  pregnant women, residents and staff of residential care homes, poultry workers and pig farmers and those with chronic health conditions who are CSSA recipients.

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At the Migrant Workers Office of the Philippine Consulate, however, Filipino domestic workers aged 50 and above have been offered free flu shots since the start of the month through  a government grant to a private clinic.

Apart from the flu shot, Hui said people in high-risk groups, including those aged 18 to 49 with chronic diseases and immunocrompromised children at least six months old, should also get a Covid-19 booster if more than six months have passed since they last had a jab or infection.

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Hui and other medical experts sitting in a committee reviewing strategies for public health management earlier this week recommended that residents receive a third-generation Covid-19 jab targeting the XBB variant for better protection ahead of a winter surge.

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Brave Filipina films, scares burglars away

 

One of the burglars makes a face at the Pinay before fleeing

The brave woman who foiled an attempt by two cheeky burglars to break into a standalone house in Sai Kung in the small hours last Thursday was a Filipina domestic helper, and not the “female homeowner” as was reported in most mainstream news outlets earlier.

This was evident in the viral video uploaded on YouTube where the 42-year-old Filipina could be heard first muttering, “Hoy” to the masked burglars and then continued shouting until they clambered over an open window to flee.

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But before doing so, one of them waved at the helper and made a face, sparking myth among those who saw the video online and posted in major media outlets.

The video was taken by the brave Filipina while shooing the burglars away as she made her way  across the dimly-lit house in Spanish Villas, Nam Wai, Sai Kung. (video here: https://video.hkhl.hk/746e6c2068bf71eebfc95014c1da0102/ea7b678cbcb14a4fb00237580acce2e2-18291e280c29e01890a06148475ff66c-ld.mp4?_=1

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She then informed her 42-year-old male French employer, who called the police at 2:37am.

Officers who responded to the call found that a glass door of the house had been damaged but no property was stolen.

The brave Pinay inspecting the broken glass door of  their Sai Kung home

On further investigation, they discovered that another village house nearby had been burgled. The windows had been prised open and some properties were taken but their value was not immediately known.

The incident came just six months after another foreign domestic helper scared off two men who had tried to sneak into her employer’s detached house in Royal Castle, Clear Water Bay, also in Sai Kung.

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The helper heard a strange noise in the house at about 10pm on April 20 and saw the burglars about to enter the house when she went to investigate.

She immediately raised the alarm and the burglars fled toward the hills behind the house.

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The police who came after receiving a report found no trace of the thieves, but saw that the doors and windows of the house had been pried open.

When they checked the CCTV, they saw two men wearing black shirts in the act of entering the house.

No arrests were made after the incident.

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PCG sets up QR codes for lost & found items, PhilHealth cards

 

Scan the QR code above to see the list of found items in the PCG's care

If you’re a Filipino and lost something, it might be a good idea to check with the  Philippine Consulate General  first to see if your missing item is there.

Conversely, if you find something that belongs to a Filipino, like a passport, voter’s ID or driver’s licence, better leave it with the Consulate for easier tracking.

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A few days ago, the PCG announced on its Facebook page that a list of all found items left in its care can be accessed through a QR code that  it posted along with the announcement.

The system is similar to those used in many restaurants in Hong Kong today, where the menu, prices and methods of payment can be seen by scanning a QR code, eliminating the lengthier process of checking and ordering the dishes, and then paying the bill afterwards

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Clicking on the PCG’s lost and found QR code, one can see 67 items listed with the owners’ names. They consist mostly of Philippine-issued documents, like voter’s ID, PhilHealth IDs, passports and birth certificates.

Only one entry pertains to a wallet containing a HKID card. There is also no entry for jewelry that has been turned over to them, indicating that the Consulate does not accept documents or items that should be turned over either to the HK Immigration Department or the police.

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Also, all  items are listed with their owners’ names, which suggest that anything that could not be linked to a Filipino owner will not be accepted by the PCG.

QR code for those who wish to know if their PhilHealth cards are already with PCG

Earlier, the PCG also put up a QR code for PhilHealth ID cards that have yet to be claimed by their owners.

The system potentially eliminates a lot of questions being asked of PCG staff by members of the national health insurer, which does not have an office in Hong Kong.

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Those who wish to claim their PhilHealth ID are advised to go to counter 15 at the Consulate and present their passport or HKID card as proof of identity. For any questions, email info.hkpcg@gmail.com

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Akusado sa pambubugbog sa partner, muling bigo na makalaya pansamantala

Faceboook profile photo ni Bondoc 

Bigo pa ring makalaya ang isang Pilipinong waiter na akusado ng pambubugbog sa kanyang kinakasama kahit itinaas niya sa $10,000 ang alok niyang piyansa, mula sa $1,200.

Dahil dito, ibinalik sa kulungan si Ronald Bondoc, 42 taon gulang, matapos ang pagdinig sa Eastern Court kanina.

Nauna rito, hiniling ng abogado ni Bondoc na hayaan siyang magpiyansa upang makapagtrabaho at makapagpadala ng pera sa kanyang mga anak sa Pilipinas, na umaasa lang sa kanya.

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Maliban sa pagtaas ng kanyang alok na piyansa, nangako rin si Bondoc na magre-report sa pulis ng Wanchai araw-araw.

Pero tumutol ang taga-usig at idiniin na gumamit si Bondoc ng sandata sa isang karahasang pantahanan.

Nagpasya si Deputy Magistrate Charles Kwok na walang nabago sa kalagayan ng kaso, kaya tinanggihan niya ang alok na piyansa.

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Pero ipinaalala niya na may karapatan si Bondoc na umapela sa Court of First Instance. Dagdag ni Magistrate Kwok, may karapatan din si Bondoc na hilingin ang pagrepaso sa kanyang hiling na piyansa tuwing ika walong araw, kaya itinakda niya and susunod na pagdinig sa Oct. 20.

Inaresto at ikinulong si Bondoc matapos nyang bugbugin si Karla Gonzales noong Oct. 2 sa kanilang tirahan sa Jardine’s Crescent, Causeway Bay.

Kinasuhan siya ng “assault occasioning actual bodily harm”, na may parusang hanggang tatlong taon sa kulungan sa ilalim ng Offense Against the Person Ordinance.

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Kinasuhan rin siya ng “criminal intimidation” dahil sa umano'y pagbabanta na sasaktang muli si Gonzales. Ang krimen na ito ay may parusa na hanggang dalawang taon sa kulungan at multang $5,000 sa ilalim ng Crimes Ordinance.

Ang dalawang kaso ay kahawig ng naunang kaso kung saan nasentensiyahan si Bondoc ni Magistrate Leona Chan noong April 3 ng pagkakulong ng 10 linggo matapos ang paglilitis sa Eastern Court din, kung saan ipinagtanggol niya ang kanyang sarili.

Ang unang anim na linggo rito ay ipinataw sa kanya para sa criminal intimidation, dahil sa banta niya na susunugin  ang Philippine Consulate at saktan ang mga tauhan nito, lalo na ang isang “Arnel,” sa isang tawag sa telepono na lumampas ng isang oras noong Jan 22, 2022.

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Nahatulan rin siya ng apat na linggo sa salang common assault, nang magpunta siya sa Consulate noong Jan 24, 2022 na may hawak na golf club, at pinitserahan ang isang lalaking kawani bago ito itinulak sa sahig. Pero dalawang linggo lang ang naidagdag sa sentensiya, dahil kalahati nito ay pagsisilbihan niya kasabay ng unang parusa.

Sa ikatlong pagkakasalang loitering causing concern, na nangyari noong March 28, 2022 nang magdala siya ng isang metal bar at nag-istambay sa lift lobby ng Consulate hanggang kunin siya ng pulis, ang parusa niya ay apat na linggo din. Dalawang linggo dito ang idinagdag sa sentensiya, dahil pagsisilbihan niya ang kalahati kasabay ng unang parusa.

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7 and 8 years in jail for 2 employers who raped Indonesian DHs

 

The sentences were meted 2 days apart at the High Court

Two local male employers were sent to jail at the High Court two days apart, after being found guilty of raping their Indonesian domestic helpers two years ago.

In the latest case, a 60-year-old owner of an air conditioning repair company was sentenced today, October 13, to eight years in jail for raping his 23-year-old Indonesian helper who later got pregnant and had to undergo an abortion.

Defendant Lee Pui-hung was found to have given a tortoise jelly candy spiked with a sleeping pill to the domestic worker before raping her on November 21, 2021.

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In the second case, 45-year-old insurance regional director Chow Ka Wai was jailed for seven years on October 11, a month after being found guilty of raping his domestic helper.

Chow had insisted that he had consensual sex with the helper at his flat on August 20, 2021, a claim that Lee also used to try and escape liability. 

Lee, however, pleaded guilty to the rape charge while Chow had to undergo trial after pleading not guilty.

In sentencing Lee, Deputy Judge Eric Kwok acknowledged the seriousness of the case, and the fact that X, the victim, was far from her home and was financially dependent on the employer.

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Kwok blasted Lee’s claim that he committed the crime out of impulse and because he was financially troubled. The judge said he did not see why Lee’s financial trouble would cause him to rape his helper as that would not have helped with his situation.

 The judge also angrily hit out at Lee for offering $2,000 to the victim in an attempt to silence her.

 The court heard that X started working at Lee’s household in Sham Shui Po in July 2021.On November 21 of the same year, X took her day off and on her return, Lee offered her a bowl of sugar coated tortoise jelly which he had secretly laced with Zolpiden, a sleep-inducing drug,

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 X felt dizzy after consuming the candies and went inside her room. Later she went to the kitchen to drink water but felt drowsy so Lee took the chance to accompany her to her room where he started to grope her and kiss her breasts and genitals. Lee, who was unprotected, then forced himself on X for about 15 to 30 minutes, despite her attempts to ward him off.

 X tearfully related the rape to Lee’s wife on the same day. To appease her Lee apologized and secretly handed her $2,000 and told her not to tell anyone about the incident.

 The next day, X found semen residue on her body and told her elder sister who immediately reported the incident to their employment agency. Lee was arrested the same evening but in his statement to the police said he had consensual sex with the helper, but admitted giving her $2,000.

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 CCTV footage taken outside his residence showed Lee disposing a plastic bag which it turned out, contained the shirt that X was wearing during the rape.

 A forensic examination of X’s blood and urine samples showed the presence of more than two doses of a Zopiclone pill even if she denied consuming any sleeping pill.

On December 6, X found out she was pregnant. She decided to undergo an abortion in January the next year and DNA analysis linked the fetus to Lee.

 Lee pleaded guilty to rape, administering drugs to facilitate unlawful sexual acts, and obstructing the course of justice.

 In mitigation, Lee’s counsel said the case resulted in Lee divorcing his wife and liquidating his assets, including his business.

 The defence lawyer said the rape was a momentary lapse of judgment on Lee’s part due to financial pressures caused by political unrest and the Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with the burden of supporting his younger daughter’s university education.

 But the judge dismissed the arguments, saying Lee’s act was premeditated and had nothing to do with financial stress.

 Instead he took into consideration the trauma assessment report on X, which showed she suffered severed anxiety as a result of the incident, and Lee’s lack of genuine remorse.

 After giving discount for Lee’s guilty plea the judge imposed a total sentence of eight years in jail for the three charges against him.

 In Chow’s case, there was only one charge of rape to which he pleaded not guilty. But after trial last month, a High Court jury of six men found the insurance executive who was receiving a salary of HK$1 million a year, guilty of the crime.

 Last Wednesday, October 11, Judge Martin Hui sentenced him to seven years in jail, saying Chow violated the helper’s trust and he needed to give a deterrent sentence as the crime was serious.

 Hui said the case was a tragedy for Chow’s family, as he and his wife have divorced, leaving their three children, aged 6 to 10, in the care of his 74-year-old mother.

 But this was all Chow’s fault. "A mistake is all it takes," he said.

 In sentencing, the judge noted Chow’s lack of remorse in insisting he and the 40-year-old helper had consensual sex. Reading off a report, Hui said the victim suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, feeling scared every day and finding it hard to control her emotions.

 The court has heard that the incident happened on August 10, 2021, after Chow got drunk. He  touched her breasts and forced her to give him oral sex. He then touched her private parts and raped her for 10 to 20 seconds without protection.

 The helper tried to fight back but failed.

 She complained to Chow's wife the following day, and said she could not stay in the flat anymore as she felt frightened. After leaving Chow's home the helper called the police.

 In mitigation, the defense counsel said Chow committed the crime on an impulse and under the influence of alcohol. The lawyer also insisted no violence was used on the helper.

In addition, the defense said the helper has found a new employer and is able to move on despite a psychological assessment saying she suffers from anxiety and depression.

 The lawyer asked for a lenient sentence, saying Chow has a record of doing charity work.

 

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Pilipino lilitisin matapos tumangging nanuntok sa airport

Sa Airport naganap ang pananakit.

Itinanggi ng isang Pilipino kanina na nanakit siya nang malubha ng isa niyang kasamahan sa trabaho sa Terminal 1 ng Hong Kong Airport, kaya itinakda ang kanyang paglilitis sa Dec. 4-5.

Nagpahayag ng kanyang pagtanggi si Christian de Guzman, 30 taong gulang, matapos basahan ng kaso kanina sa West Kowloon Court.

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Itinakda ni Magistrate Jason Wan ang paglilitis sa Dec. 4-5, at itinaas niya sa $2,000 ang piyansa ni de Guzman mula sa $500.

Ayon sa  sakdal na isinampa ng Airport Police, naganap ang pananakit noong Dec. 27, 2022 sa Airside Apron ng Level 4 sa Terminal 1 ng airport, kung saan ipinapasok ang mga bagaheng galing sa mga eroplanong bagong dating.

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Sinuntok umano ni de Guzman ang kasamahang si Lo Chiu Yung, na nagsanhi ng sugat sa tabi ng mata nito.

Ayon sa taga-usig, maghaharap sila ng limang testigo, kasama na ang pulis na umaresto kay de Guzman.

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Ang depensa naman ay maghaharap ng tatlong testigo para kay de Guzman.

Pinaalalahanan ni Magistrate Wan si de Guzman na makipagkita siya nang mas maaga sa duty lawyer, na libreng ibinibigay ng korte, upang maayos na maihanda ang kanyang depensa.

 

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