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| Hearing is adjourned as defendant was unrepresented |
A Filipina who allegedly signed a domestic helper’s contract as an
employer, appeared yesterday (Feb. 14) in Shatin Court, embroiled in a case of conspiracy to
defraud after the employment arrangement was found to be fake.
Almira Chow, 51 years old, was accused of conspiring with three others
– Aprilyn Tupas, Gina Villareal and Homer Herrera – to make it appear to the
Immigration Department from 2021 ro Sept. 8, 2023 that Tupas would work for her
as a domestic helper.
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| Buksan ang mga tip |
The misrepresentation resulted in Immigration officers granting Tupas permission to remain in Hong Kong, “which they would not otherwise have granted,” the charge stated.
When Chow appeared on Wednesday ( Feb. 14) Acting Principal Magistrate
Amy Chan noted that she was unrepresented,
which was unacceptable because the offense would require imprisonment if she is
found guilty.
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| TAWAG NA! |
When asked why she had no lawyer when she had one from the Duty Lawyer Service in the previous hearing, Chow said she had no money to hire one
This prompted Magistrate Chan to suspend the hearing and allowed Chow to return to the DLS office. When Chow returned to say that no lawyer was available, the magistrate rescheduled the hearing for March 26, extended her bail of $1,000, and reminded her of the need to be represented.
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| PINDUTIN ITO |
One of those named as Chow’s co-conspirators, Herrera, is facing a
separate case of helping four other visa applicants to lie to the Immigration
Department to be able to obtain a domestic helper’s visa, and was detained
after also appearing at Shatin Court last Feb. 8.
Herrera, 40 years old, is charged with four counts of “aiding and
abetting the making a false representation to an Immigration Officer lawfully
acting under or in the execution of Part III of the Immigration Ordinance,” a
violation of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance and the immigration Ordinance.
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| PADALA NA! |
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