The fiancée of former TVB actor and singer Lee Lung-kei has been jailed for 25 months after being convicted of five charges related to overstaying in Hong Kong and forging university certificates to obtain an entry permit.
Wang Qingxia, 36, appeared in Sha Tin Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching her conditions of stay, one of using a false instrument, another of making false statements to obtain her entry permit and a final charge of making a false declaration to immigration officers.
Acting Principal Magistrate Amy Chan Wai-mun slammed Wang, who is from mainland China, for fabricating three graduation certificates from a US aviation academy to apply for a migration scheme and attempt to take up employment in Hong Kong.
“Regarding these charges, the court must take a harsher starting point for sentencing, as [overstayers trying to take up employment] is a matter that affects the labour market for local Hongkongers,” Chan said.
She stressed that law enforcement had to treat such cases seriously, as the mainland had a large labour market and many workers who wished to find jobs in the city through the permits.
The court heard that Wang held Chinese travel permits to enter and exit Hong Kong, but had overstayed twice after they expired in February 2020 and April last year.
Wang admitted she had used three false graduation certifications, purportedly from Pacific States Aviation, in her application to the Immigration Department’s Quality Migrant Admission Scheme in 2019.
But the court was told the defendant was never accepted under the scheme, as she failed to provide further supporting documents for her qualifications.
In mitigation, Wang said she did not “think thoroughly” when using the false documents to apply for the scheme.
She was seen dabbing her eyes with tissues and crying while in the dock.
Her fiancé told the press outside court that the length of the jail term was “beyond expectations”, but he would wait for Wang’s release.
“I will definitely wait for her and marry her afterwards,” Lee said.
The case was heard amid Hong Kong’s all-out push to attract talent to replenish the working population affected by an emigration trend and to bolster manpower in innovative sectors.
