An employer was fined $6,000 at the Kwun Tong Magistracy today (7 July), after being convicted of offences under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (Cap. 485) (the "Ordinance").

Bucks, John Malcolm trading as Elite Financial Services (BR no.: 22010190) was charged for an offence under section 7(1) of the Ordinance. The defendant was fined $500 for the summons for failing to enrol an employee in an MPF scheme as required by the Ordinance.

Bucks, John Malcolm trading as Elite Financial Services was also charged for offences under section 7A(2)(a) of the Ordinance. The defendant pleaded guilty to 11 counts of failing to make MPF contributions for an employee from the employer's own funds to the relevant registered scheme for the contribution periods between April 2008 and February 2009. The defendant was fined $500 for each summons, totalling $5,500.

The MPFA also pursued four claims in the Small Claims Tribunal for some $88,000 on behalf of 12 employees, who were owed MPF contributions by their employers.

At the Tribunal¡¦s hearing today, a defendant EWI Logistics (HK) Limited did not dispute the amount claimed. The Adjudicator ordered it to pay the MPFA a sum of $9,063.74, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.

The other three defendants, namely Idealab Workshop Limited, Ironman Corporation Limited and Alcove Limited, did not appear. In their absence, the Adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA sums of $49,561.61, $18,480 and $11,473 respectively, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable respectively.

The amounts awarded at the Tribunal will be reimbursed to the employees¡¦ MPF accounts as soon as they are received by the MPFA. The Tribunal ordered the respective defendants to pay $184, $230, $126 and $80 as the costs of the claims.

End/Wednesday, 7 July 2010