Activist Ken Tsang Kin-chiu denied using his fame from the alleged assault to get into politics as he continued to give testimony at the trial of the seven police officers on Tuesday. The officers allegedly assaulted him in October 2014 during the pro-democracy Occupy protests.
The group of seven consists of a chief inspector, a senior inspector and five junior officers. The officers are from the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau, the Kwun Tong and Kowloon City Regional Police departments, and the Kowloon Regional Headquarters.
Each was charged with wounding or striking with intent to do grievous bodily harm. One of them was charged with an extra count of common assault. The seven pleaded not guilty.
Tsang was questioned in court by one of the defendants’ lawyers, Edwin Choy Wai-bond.
Choy said that Tsang had met with many media outlets after the alleged assault, and had become a famous person. Tsang agreed with the statement. However, he disagreed that he was using his fame to get into politics.
Choy said that Tsang had quit the Civic Party, of which he was previously a member, when it did not support his campaign for the Legislative Council this year, so he could still participate. Tsang agreed with Choy on the matter.
Choy also said Tsang’s testimony sounded “silly” as the activist claimed that he had earlier poured liquid on officers because he wanted to slow down the progress of the police, not because he was against the police. Tsang asked: “What is the problem?”
Choy asked if Tsang drank from the bottle, and how he could ascertain it was water. Tsang responded that he did not drink the liquid. At one point, Tsang asked Choy whether he was a qualified barrister.
The lawyer of another defendant, Bernard Chung, asked Tsang if he had seen news reports featuring the faces of the suspects after Tsang was told that he would have to identify them. Tsang replied that he may have seen the faces of the suspects, because mainstream media reported on it. However, he disagreed with Chung’s statement that he could only identify them because he had seen the media reports.
The hearing is adjourned and continues next Monday.
