Hong Kong bomb plotter tied to ‘Dragon Slaying Brigade’ admits to hiding evidence
- Prosecution witness Eddie Pang concedes he was hoping to be charged with less serious offences, although he maintains being truthful in court
Defence lawyers on Friday challenged the credibility of Eddie Pang Kwan-ho, a key witness testifying for the prosecution, over the inconsistency of his testimony.
Pang had earlier alleged some of the defendants used real firearms during military training in Taiwan, stole chemicals to make bombs from a university laboratory and plotted to harm police with corrosive fluid during the height of the social unrest in 2019.
But he denied fabricating a story to accuse six other defendants, explaining he only told police less information than he should have.
The six men – Cheung Chun-fu, Cheung Ming-yu, Yim Man-him, Christian Lee Ka-tin, Lai Chun-pong and Justin Hui Cham-wing – are standing trial over their alleged involvement to plant two bombs in Wan Chai on December 8, 2019.
They have denied a joint count of conspiracy to commit bombing of prescribed objects under the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance.
Lawyer Joe Chan Wai-yin, defence for Hui, challenged Pang on whether he gave a truthful statement in court.
Chan said Pang earlier told the court that Hui had participated in firing both real guns and air guns and was taught to make incendiary devices at the military training camp in Taiwan that September, but pointed out this information was not included in the findings of police.
“Perhaps during the interviews I gave less [information] to police,” Pang said.
The witness admitted he was thinking about how he could be released on bail and charged with less serious offences after he was arrested in January 2020.
But he maintained he had been truthful when testifying in court.
Chan said his client Hui was best friends with Ng because they had both studied at Wah Yan College, Hong Kong, one of the most prestigious boy’s schools in the city.
That relationship made them “inseparable” throughout all the events that Ng had taken part in from the 2014 Occupy Central movement to the protests in 2019, Chan added.
In giving evidence, Pang said he knew the pair in 2014 and rekindled ties with Ng in June 2019.
Chan said Hui had expressed his stance to Ng that he would not be involved in any criminal activities, specifically a plot on October 4, 2019, which Pang alleged involved Hui and Ng planning to throw corrosive fluid at police from a building on Hennessy Road, Wan Chai.
Pang earlier told the court that Ng called off the plan because the team had missed the right moment to attack.
But Chan on Friday pointed out that Pang had never mentioned this October 4 plot to police.
Separately, Sabrina See, defence for Lai, argued that her client had not taken part in stealing chemicals with Pang from the university laboratory that November.
Pang had alleged that Ng instructed both he and Lai to find raw materials for making bombs, according to See.
See argued that Pang had made false accusations against the defendants in a bid to secure his chance of becoming a prosecution witness and receive a sentence reduction.
She asked Pang: “You are trying to make the others look more guilty so that you can lessen your own culpability and turn to become a prosecution witness, do you agree?”
Pang denied the claim, adding he only testified because he had knowledge of those involved in the bomb plot.
The trial will continue next Tuesday.
