Hong Kong court has no say in ‘appropriateness’ of charge in Singapore military vehicle case: prosecutors
The argument was made after the defence asked the court to interpret a stipulation in the city’s Import and Export Ordinance
The defence’s attempt to quash the Hong Kong government’s case against a shipmaster and shipping firm accused of illegally importing nine Singaporean military vehicles into Hong Kong last year was rebuffed by prosecutors on Monday, at a preliminary hearing.
Defence counsel Joseph Tse Wah-yuen SC had earlier asked the District Court to offer a correct interpretation of a stipulation in the city’s Import and Export Ordinance, that the Department of Justice accused his clients of contravening.
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Tse said the stipulation should not apply to carriers like his clients, mainland ship captain Pan Xuejun and shipping company APL, who were charged earlier this year for importing strategic commodities without the necessary licence from the city’s director general of trade and industry.
The legal action against Pan and APL stemmed from the impounding of nine Terrex armoured troop carriers, which were intercepted last year in the city on November 23.
The vehicles were en route to Singapore from the Taiwanese port of Kaohsiung after a military training exercise but were held in Hong Kong for about two months.
Concerns raised by the defence prompted the District Court to schedule a preliminary hearing before prosecutors took pleas and set the case for trial.
