Agency worker held over claim about helper’s health

Customs officers have arrested a staff member of an employment agency on suspicion of making a false claim to a client about the results of a medical check-up for a domestic worker.

The 42-year-old employee was detained and several documents were seized during a raid at the agency’s office in Mong Kok yesterday morning.

Members of customs’ unfair trade investigation group began looking into the case after they received a complaint from the domestic helper’s employer in connection with her recruitment during the fourth quarter of last year.

Senior Investigator Andy Tse Tsz-chung, who is part of the unit, said that the agency employee was accused of lying to the client by saying the helper’s medical check-up did not reveal anything of concern.

He said the client had been very worried about her family’s health and had told the agency employee before signing a contract the helper would be hired only if she passed the check-up. “The complainant also made inquiries about the results of the check-up repeatedly and was told by the [agency] employee there were no abnormal results,” he said.

Tse said that the suspect had allegedly made several different excuses after she initially refused to share the results of the helper’s check-up.

The client only received the results several weeks after the domestic helper had begun working for her family, with the medical file indicating the latter had tested positive for an infectious disease.

The senior investigator refused to name the infectious disease.

Customs officers made the arrest yesterday after gathering evidence.

Tse said that making false claims was a violation of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, an offence punishable by up to five years in jail and a HK$500,000 fine.

He also reminded traders to comply with the requirements of the legislation and appealed to consumers to procure all services from reputable vendors.