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Hong Kong ringleader of ‘Dragon Slaying Brigade’ bomb plot team suffers panic attack after grilling over past relationships

  • Judge forced to briefly adjourn hearing until prosecution witness Wong Chun-keung able to speak, after defence characterised him as ‘playing the field’ with female supporters
  • Telegram chat records presented in court also show Wong described his role in entertaining financial backers and other supporters as akin to being ‘male prostitute’

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A van from the Correctional Services Department transports some of the defendants during proceedings last month. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

The leader of the “Dragon Slaying Brigade”, the team behind a thwarted 2019 bomb plot targeting Hong Kong police, suffered a panic attack in court on Thursday after a defence lawyer characterised his relations with several female supporters as “playing the field”.

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Wong Chun-keung was testifying at the High Court against six men and a woman facing charges under the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance.

The seven are Yim Man-him, Cheung Chun-fu, Cheung Ming-yu, Christian Lee Ka-tin, Lai Chun-pong, Justin Hui Cham-wing and Lau Pui-ying. They have all pleaded not guilty.

Wong broke down during the hearing as the defence argued he was “playing the field” with backers during the year of the bomb plot, in a bid to challenge the witness’s credibility.

The defence questioned him about his relationships with a Thai woman whose bank account was used to handle cash raised by crowdfunding, a second woman believed to have led a protest group and a third whom Wong said had helped with the plan.

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The judge, Mrs Justice Judianna Barnes, was forced to adjourn the hearing for nearly an hour until Wong was able to speak.

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