Localist activist Edward Leung of Hong Kong Indigenous was arrested on Friday for allegedly fighting in public with a reporter from the Beijing-backed Ta Kung Pao newspaper in August. He was then released without being charged.
Leung confirmed that officers visited his residence Tai Koo and took him to the Chai Wan Police Station on Friday. The prosecution has not pressed charges against the activist.
Another pro-Beijing newspaper Wen Wei Po’s front page on Saturday detailed the arrest. The paper said that officers from the Criminal Investigation Department took Leung to the North Point Police Station at 5pm and transferred him to the Chai Wan Police Station at around 8pm.
Leung, represented by a lawyer, rejected the police bail offer. He told RTHK that he gave testimony and took part in an identification parade.
He was released unconditionally at around 9pm. The paper said that the police reserved the right to investigate further. The police have not given comment on the case.
Leung was being followed by reporters from pro-Beijing newspapers in August.
The activist allegedly quarreled with a reporter of the Ta Kung Pao newspaper in Tai Koo station on August 13. Wen Wei Po said the incident lasted about six minutes. Leung reported that his shirt was damaged, while the reporter accused Leung of assault.
The video footage also showed the reporter grabbed Leung’s phone and threw it away.
Under the Public Order Ordinance, the offence carries a maximum penalty of HK$5,000 fine and a 12-month jail term.
Correction: This report previously erroneously stated the reporter was of the Wen Wei Po. It should be Ta Kung Pao.
