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Catholic Church
Hong KongLaw and Crime

Retired Catholic leader Joseph Zen, 5 others to appear before Hong Kong court over role in fund for protesters

  • Other defendants are singer Denise Ho, former academic Hui Po-keung, alleged fund secretary Sze Ching-wee and ex-opposition lawmakers Margaret Ng and Cyd Ho
  • Zen was among trustees arrested by national security police for suspected collusion with foreign forces

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The arrest of Cardinal Joseph Zen by national security police was condemned by Western governments, while the Vatican said it was monitoring developments in the case carefully. Photo: AFP
Christy Leung

Retired Catholic leader Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun and five others will appear before a Hong Kong court on Tuesday to answer charges of failing to register a now-defunct fund that provided financial assistance to protesters facing legal troubles stemming from the 2019 social unrest.

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The 90-year-old former bishop, four other trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund and its secretary will stand before West Kowloon Court at 10.30am after police served them with summonses.

Officers from the police’s National Security Department earlier this month arrested Zen, singer Denise Ho Wan-sze and former Lingnan University academic Hui Po-keung, as well as ex-opposition lawmakers Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee and Cyd Ho Sau-lan, who is already in jail for her role in illegal assemblies.
(From left) Cardinal Joseph Zen, Margaret Ng, Hui Po-keung and Denise Ho attend a media briefing by the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund in August 2021. Photo: Edmond So
(From left) Cardinal Joseph Zen, Margaret Ng, Hui Po-keung and Denise Ho attend a media briefing by the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund in August 2021. Photo: Edmond So

They were held on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces in relation to their work with the fund, but no charges were laid. While Cyd Ho remains in custody, the force on May 12 said the other four suspects had been released.

The arrest of Zen was condemned by Western governments, while the Vatican said it was monitoring developments in the case carefully.

Police applied to the court to serve summons to the five and 37-year-old Sze Ching-wee, who a source said served as secretary for the fund, for allegedly failing to register the fund with the government.

Under the Societies Ordinance, a local society or its branch must apply to the Societies Officer for registration or exemption within one month of its establishment or else the responsible person could be fined HK$10,000 upon a first conviction. Subsequent conviction risk jail terms as long as three months.

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