A man who appeared in court for urging Facebook users to throw petrol bombs at a pro-Beijing figure and to use water pistols loaded with paint and chili oil against police officers had charges against him dropped on Monday.
Kwok Hong-man, a 24-year-old office clerk, was charged after leaving comments on Facebook in February that called for users to throw petrol bombs at a street stall set up by Leticia Lee See-yin, the convener of pro-establishment political group Justice Alliance who is also known for her affiliations with pro-Beijing organisations. In the same month, he also called for Facebook users to protect themselves with water pistols filled with paint and chili oil should they be beaten by police officers, Apple Daily reported.
The defendant was charged with two counts of obtaining access to a computer with criminal intent. He was represented by senior counsel Arthur Luk Yee-shun, who asked the prosecution at Tsuen Wan Magistrates’ Court to dismiss the charges and replace them with a binding over, to which the prosecution agreed.
He was given the binding over order for HK$2,000, under which he will observe good behaviour for three years. He was also ordered to pay HK$300 in legal costs.
Luk said Kwok was discontent over the police’s handling of the pro-democracy Occupy protests last year and that he committed the offence out of anger. He also said Kwok is willing to apologise to police officers in Hong Kong.
