CHRIS LAU CHRIS.LAU@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 15 September, 2015, 1:11pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 15 September, 2015, 1:11pm
Too busy: Legco president Jasper Tsang. Photo: Nora Tam
Legal representatives for the Hong Kong Legislative Council will explain in court this afternoon why the council’s speaker should not be called to testify in the trial of a dozen protesters accused of forcibly entering its premises during a rally against the government’s New Territories new town plan last June.
Defence lawyers earlier issued summonses to require Legco president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing and House Committee chairman Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen to testify as defence witnesses in the trial, Eastern Court heard this morning.
But barrister Douglas Kwok King-hin told magistrate Jason Wan Siu-ming that they received a letter from Lo & Lo, a law firm which represents the Legco Commission, late yesterday afternoon, saying Tsang would apply to strike out the summonses.
Outside court, Kwok revealed the letter said Tsang would be too busy to make an appearance.
READ MORE: Protesters storm Legco over northeastern New Territories plan
The letter, instead, suggested a few others whom the defence lawyers could call, the magistrate noted.
But Kwok told Wan that had the discharge application been granted, he and four other lawyers would have to rethink their strategies.
Wan contacted the firm and invited the representatives to the court to explain their clients Tsang and Leung’s positions this afternoon.
Activists facing trial for allegedly storming the Legco building rally outside Eastern Court on Tuesday. Photo: Sam Tsang
The 12 defendants, who pleaded not guilty to one count of unlawful assembly and another of attempted forcible entry today, include: Leung Hiu-yeung, 21, Raphael Wong Ho-ming, 26, Lau Kwok-leung, 23, Leung Wing-lai, 32, Ivan Lam Long-yin, 19, Chu Wai-chung, 18, Ho Kit-wang,22, Chow Koot-yin, 25, Yim Man-wah, 22, Billy Chiu Hin-chung, 29, Kwok Yiu-cheong, 40, and Chan Pak-shan, 26.
Leung Wing-lai and Raphael Wong also each denied obstructing a Legco officer – contrary to section 19 of the Legislative Council (powers and privileges) ordinance.
But Wong Kan-yuen, 24, pleaded guilty to the two counts his 12 co-defendants face today.
The court heard Wong took part in the protest outside the Legco complex in Admiralty on June 13.
During the protest, the defendants allegedly stormed into the Legco building and damaged doors and signs, amounting to more than HK$421,000 in costs, the court heard. A security officer also suffered a fractured toe during the protest.
Wan said he would reserve sentence until the end of the trial and granted Wong bail.
The hearing continues this afternoon.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1858305/legco-president-jasper-tsang-too-busy-testify-trial-new
