The hearing into the case in which seven police officers are accused of beating Civic Party activist Ken Tsang continued in the Eastern Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. The case has been transferred to the District Court and adjourned to December 8; the defendants’ bail of HK$1,000 each was extended.
The accused, who include a chief inspector, a senior inspector and five junior officers, has been told not to discuss the case with any of the prosecution’s witnesses.
The defendants have been charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent, after allegedly beating Tsang up in a “dark corner” during the pro-democracy Occupy protests last October. One of the officers is facing an additional charge of common assault for an incident at the police station.
The group’s defence counsel said that the defendants will reserve the right to submit evidence which was not at the scene of the crime. The magistrate said that should the defence be in possession of such evidence, it must be brought to the attention of the court ten days before the hearing.
Outside the law courts, around a dozen police officers were stationed near the building, while Leticia Lee Sin-yin, along with twenty other “Alliance in support of our Police Force” members, chanted slogans to show their support for the defendants. The protesters held signs saying “Assaulting the police with dirty water, the provoker is the bastard”.
As the defendants were leaving the court, they were asked by reporters whether they would apply for legal aid, but did not reply, Stand News reported.
The officers were charged on October 15, 2015, exactly a year after the incident was said to have happened. On the same day, Ken Tsang was also charged with assaulting and obstructing police, after allegedly splashing them with a liquid on Lung Wo Road, and then resisting arrest. Both parties made their first court appearance a week later on October 19. Ken Tsang is due to appear in court on December 9.
