James To Kun-sun has been cleared of accusations of delaying members in a lift after CCTV evidence was reviewed by the Legislative Council Commission, Legislative Council President Jasper Tsang Yok-sing has said.
“The members of the LegCo Commission were unanimous in accepting the fact that no offence took place at all in yesterday’s incident,” says Tsang. Pro-democratic legislator James To was accused of obstructing lawmakers in the same lift from attending the copyright bill meeting.
To said he was glad that the issue has been resolved. “I understand that my pro-establishment colleagues are under a lot of pressure…it is easy for them to think negatively,” he added. “It’s just a misunderstanding.”
On Thursday, pro-Beijing lawmaker Chan Yuen-han of the the Federation of Trade Unions accused a “veteran lawmaker” of pressing the 5th and 9th floor elevator buttons, which made her one of the last people to arrive at the meeting. To later revealed that he was in the lift with Chan and denied the accusations.
“I got into a lift going up to the 10th floor and saw Chan, and I pressed 5th. I figured that I had forgotten a document, so I pressed 9th to get it and left – Chan had made no reaction by then,” he said.
Felix Chung Kwok-pan, chairman of the Liberal Party, also said he and party colleague Tommy Cheung Yu-yan lost around 30 seconds in the lift due to the extra floor buttons being pressed. The delay meant the quorum challenge succeeded.
To could have been liable to a fine of HK$10,000 and one year imprisonment, if found guilty of obstructing colleagues.
