Judge grants adjournment until Thursday afternoon to give lawyers more time to study new witness statement from Tsang
CHRIS.LAU@SCMP.COM
UPDATED : Wednesday, 01 June, 2016, 2:07pm
The defendants arrived at about 9am, some wearing sunglasses and surgical masks. Photo: Sam Tsang
The trial of seven policemen accused of maliciously assaulting activist Ken Tsang Kin-chiu heard the convictions of the Civic Party member for the first time, as the seven pleaded not guilty in court on Wednesday.
But the trial’s first day came to an early end as lawyers asked for extra time to study a new witness statement given by the Civic Party member after his conviction last week.
The seven policemen are Chief Inspector Wong Cho-shing, 48, Senior Inspector Lau Cheuk-ngai, 29, Detective Sergeant Pak Wing-bun, 42, and constables Lau Hing-pui, 38, Chan Siu-tan, 31, Kwan Ka-ho, 32, and Wong Wai-ho, 36, who face one joint count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent on Tsang. Chan faces one extra count of common assault.
Hong Kong policemen charged in Ken Tsang Occupy beating to plead not guilty
Prosecutor Daniel Marash SC told the District Court that Tsang, a prosecution witness in the case, was convicted last week and sentenced on Monday over “various charges”.
Watch: Seven Hong Kong policemen accused of beating up protester appear in court
On Tuesday, the prosecutor told the court, Tsang gave a new witness statement in Chinese.
“They wish to have more time to consider [their positions],” Marash said, referring to the defence counsels.
Both sides agreed on an adjournment until Thursday afternoon, for which judge David Dufton granted permission.
The defence counsels said they would challenge the admissibility of news video footage, including that from TVB and ATV, that the prosecutors wanted to submit to the court.
Deputy director of public prosecutions David Leung Cheuk-yin, also prosecuting, revealed that 11 witnesses, including Tsang himself, as well as police officers who subdued him on the day, would testify on that issue.
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1961259/first-day-trial-seven-hong-kong-policemen-charged-beating
