Hong Kong police accuse opposition lawmaker Claudia Mo of spreading ‘fake news’ on the force in interview she gave to British channel
- Chief Superintendent Kwok Ka-chuen of police public relations branch expresses ‘utmost disappointment’ over Mo’s comments on New Year’s Day
- But Mo stands her ground and argues she only cited what was being reported in the news
Hong Kong police have turned up the heat on opposition lawmaker Claudia Mo Man-ching, blaming her for making “wild accusations” against the force based on “fake news” during an interview with an overseas media outlet.
In a strongly worded letter Monday, Chief Superintendent Kwok Ka-chuen of the police public relations branch expressed “utmost disappointment” with Mo and called on her to join with the force to stop violence and restore peace.
Mo argued she had only cited what had been reported in the news.
At the centre of the row was a television interview Mo gave to the British media outlet Sky News on the night of January 1 about the New Year’s Day protests in Hong Kong that ended in chaos. Several local newspapers cited the interview to report Mo’s claim that police had sent undercover officers to vandalise shops on that day.
In the letter, Kwok said: “Without any factual basis, you outrageously and irresponsibly claimed that the Hong Kong Police Force had sent two undercover officers to vandalise shops in Wan Chai, with the intention to use the incident to halt the [New Year’s Day] public protests.
“You also blamed the police’s use of force as excessive, alleging that police had rounded up people, terrorising Hong Kong.