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Brian Wong

Three Hong Kong men have been jailed for up to 12 years for what a judge called a “sinister” conspiracy to attack police with a remote-controlled bomb during the 2019 anti-government protests.
The High Court on Tuesday held the trio’s plot was equivalent to declaring war on police at a time when officers had become a frequent target of protesters.
“The scheme, if successful, would only exacerbate or promote the anxiety and violence that permeated society at the end of 2019,” Madam Justice Anna Lai Yuen-kee said in sentencing.
“The plot against police officers enforcing the law was sinister and had no regard for the safety of other people’s lives and property.”
The three men, who faced a joint charge of conspiracy to cause an explosion with intent to endanger life or property, were caught testing an improvised explosive device on a hillside in Tuen Mun on December 14, 2019.
The court heard the trio intended to plant a bomb at either a police station or a roadblock during protests after two unidentified men offered to pay them HK$200,000 (US$25,600) to HK$500,000.
Police seized from one of the suspects a bag of white powder, later identified as a mixture of mercury and mercuric nitrate, which were believed to be by-products of a failed effort to produce mercury fulminate, an explosive substance.
School laboratory assistant Kenneth Chui Tin-lok, 32, and electrical technician Freeman Ho Kin-chung, 45, pleaded guilty in January last year. Kwan Ka-yiu, a 32-year-old cook, was convicted by a jury last month.
All three have been remanded in custody since their first appearance in court on December 16, 2019.
Lai on Tuesday handed Kwan the toughest sentence of 12 years’ imprisonment for his leading role in the case.
She noted the married man was responsible for sourcing the necessary chemicals and liaising with the group’s sponsors.

Kwan also displayed little remorse for the crime when he refused to divulge anything in relation to the case during a probation officer’s interview after his conviction, the judge added.
Chui, who worked at SKH St Simon’s Lui Ming Choi Secondary School in Tuen Mun at the time of the offence, received eight years and seven months, whereas Ho was jailed for eight years and four months.
Lai said the pair’s sentences reflected their guilty pleas and less extensive involvement in the plot.
She stressed the two still played an indispensable part in the conspiracy as they provided the essential know-how for producing explosives and remote control devices.
Chui in his mitigation letter lamented the loss of his “true character” and attributed his offence to his foolishness and hatred towards police.
Ho claimed in his letter he had been galvanised by the febrile social atmosphere at the time as well as media reports about the unrest.
Legal counsel for the electrician also highlighted his past contributions to society, including voluntary work and help rendered to police in the apprehension of a thief two decades ago.
Lai was impressed with that submission and allowed Ho to serve three months less than Chui to “encourage more people to take up voluntary jobs and help police catch thieves”.
But the judge refused to further reduce Chui’s sentence for what the defence described as hardship endured during the 4½ years he had spent in solitary confinement.
Lai said the arrangement was to “safeguard the peace of society” because of the risk he posed as one who knew how to make bombs.
She added the defendant also appeared content with the solitude behind bars as he chose not to share a cell with other inmates when prompted to do so at some point while on remand.
Conspiracy to cause explosions with intent to endanger life or property is punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment in Hong Kong.
In a separate case, five teenagers were previously convicted of the same offence for their roles in a foiled plot to promote insurgency by causing explosions in court buildings and the city’s infrastructure. Two were jailed whereas the other three were sent for correctional training.


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Hong Kong courts

3 Hong Kong men jailed for up to 12 years for ‘sinister’ plot to bomb police during 2019 protests

Hong Kong police foiled the bomb plot in December 2019 and arrested three suspects. Photo: Winson Wong

Police caught the three men testing an improvised explosive device. Photo: Handout

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3 Hong Kong men jailed for up to 12 years for ‘sinister’ plot to bomb police during 2019 protests

Trio’s plot equivalent to declaring war on police, High Court judge says