The Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS) has filed a police report after suspecting that a group of unknown men had tried to forcefully enter two of its properties. The alleged forced entry took place amid a lawsuit between the organisation’s former executives and a company over the ownership of the premises.
According to an HKFS Facebook post on Tuesday, some men claiming to represent a fund related to the federation had recently attempted to force entry into two units in Mong Kok used by the student organisation. The individuals had also damaged a security camera, the group said.
“The individuals suspected of illegal invasion and criminal damage… said they may forcibly enter the two properties and threatened to damage the organisation’s property,” HKFS said, adding the group had reported the incident to the police and had also sought legal advice.
The fund the men said they represented, H.K.F.S. Fund Ltd, was founded to “support the federation” and the two properties were held by the fund for the federation, the Facebook post read. The group added that both units had been used lawfully over the years and all expenses relating to the properties were covered by the federation.
In 2015, the federation explained the origins of the H.K.F.S. Fund, saying it was established after the sale of Hong Kong Student Travel Ltd by Hong Kong Student Travel Bureau Ltd in 1993. The travel bureau earned HK$23 million from that sale, HK$5 million of which was injected into the federation, while the remaining HK$18 million was managed by the bureau, and later renamed the H.K.F.S. Fund Ltd.
The federation accused lawmaker Ma Fung-kwok, a director of the H.K.F.S. Fund, and other directors of “forcibly seizing control of the company,” by launching legal proceedings against several former executives of the federation and requesting the federation to move out of the two units.
The Judiciary’s website showed that the H.K.F.S. Fund Ltd. was listed as a plaintiff in a case against four ex-federation members including Anthony Suen Ho-yin. They were set to return to District Court on November 30.
HKFS warned Ma and other directors against entering the two units or disposing of any items at the premises.
Ming Pao reported on Wednesday that Ma said he had no information on the incident and was unaware of the federation’s statement. He entrusted his lawyers and other directors to handle the matter, Ma told the newspaper, adding he could not comment on the incident. The directors would consult legal advice before any action, he said.
Lawyer Paul Tse, who helped launch the legal proceedings against the federation, told Ming Pao that the lawsuit had been filed because there was evidence showing the premises in question had been “misused” for activities that violated the national security law.
HKFP has reached out to Ma for comment, but his office responded saying the legislator was not in Hong Kong. HKFP has also contacted Tse via telephone and message, but had not received a reply by the time of publication.
In July, local media reported that the District Court had extended an injunction order that froze the bank account of HKFS. The H.K.F.S. Fund had reportedly alleged that the federation may misuse the funds and urged the court to order the student group to disclose its financial records. The company also asked the court to demand the HKFS to move out of the two units, local media reports read.
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