Hong Kong police officers charged with assaulting Ken Tsang object to news footage being used as evidence
The footage was said to have captured the chain of events leading to the moment the seven allegedly assaulted Tsang
Seven police officers accused of a high-profile attack on a pro-democracy activist near government headquarters in Admiralty during the 2014 Occupy protests want news footage of the alleged assault ruled inadmissable as evidence in their trial.
Lawyers for the accused officers – the most senior of whom is a chief inspector and most junior a constable – yesterday moved to block a bid by prosecutors to have the news footage admitted as part of their case against the officers .
Police chief inspector Wong Cho-shing, 48, senior inspector Lau Cheuk-ngai, 29, detective sergeant Pak Wing-bun, 42, and constables Lau Hing-pui, 38, Chan Siu-tan, 31, Kwan Ka-ho, 32, and Wong Wai-ho, 36, are jointly accused of causing grievous bodily harm with intent against Civic Party member Ken Tsang Kin-chiu on October 15, 2014. Chan also denies one lesser charge of common assault.
If convicted on the joint assault charge, the officers face a maximum seven years in prison.
The news footage – most of which was obtained through internet downloads after the alleged attack – comes from television stations TVB, ATV, Now TV, and the newspaper Apple Daily, deputy director of public prosecutions David Leung Cheuk-yin SC told the District Court on Thursday.
