Prosecutors intend to use 46 hours of footage from the internet and 10,186 hours from CCTV against remaining 40 defendants
CHRIS.LAU@SCMP.COM
UPDATED : Tuesday, 10 May, 2016, 1:14pm
Riots hit Mong Kok over the Lunar New Year. Photo: Bloomberg
Hong Kong prosecutors have dropped a charge against one more defendant accused of rioting in Mong Kok during the Lunar New Year, bringing to 11 the total number of discharged defendants related to the unrest.
Li Pui-ho, a recycling worker, was the latest to walk free on Tuesday, as prosecutors gave Kowloon City Court a glimpse of what might be used against the remaining 40 defendants in future court proceedings.
Ray Wong Toi-yeung, of Hong Kong Indigenous, at Kowloon City Court. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
Deputy director of public prosecutions David Leung Cheuk-yin SC revealed that as of April, 214 witnesses, including police officers and passers-by, had been interviewed, with more than 46 hours of video footage harvested from the internet and 10,186 hours from CCTV cameras.
Police also shot 35 hours of video footage.
“As of April 6, a total of 486 witness statements had been taken,” Leung added.
Edward Leung Tin-kei, also of Hong Kong Indigenous, at Kowloon City Court. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
After the latest withdrawal, 40 defendants remained charged with one count of rioting, with one facing an additional charge of arson.
On Tuesday, 34 of them appeared in court. Among them were Edward Leung Tin-kei and Ray Wong Toi-yeung, convenor and spokesman of localist group Hong Kong Indigenous.
Principal magistrate Peter Law Tak-chuen adjourned the case to June 28.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1943043/charge-dropped-against-another-mong-kok-riot-accused
