6 Hong Kong police officers jailed for up to 41 months after framing man for drug possession

Four men and two women found guilty of five counts of perverting course of justice for framing homeless man for drug possession and destroying evidence

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Perverting the course of justice is punishable by up to seven years in prison when heard before the District Court. Photo: Edmond So

Published: 12:16pm, 17 Oct 2024Updated: 9:12pm, 17 Oct 2024

Six Hong Kong police officers have been sentenced to up to 41 months in prison for framing a homeless man for drug possession and destroying evidence of the attempted cover-up at a park four years ago.

The District Court on Thursday jailed the four men and two women after finding them guilty of a total of five counts of perverting the course of justice over the incident at Sham Shui Po’s Tung Chau Street Park on February 4, 2020.

Judge Kathie Cheung Kit-yee said the six officers not only abused their power to trump up allegations against an innocent resident, but also tampered with surveillance footage in a bid to conceal their crime.

“Their conduct has brought shame to the police force,” she said in sentencing. “It has dealt a blow to the public’s confidence in the force’s integrity as well as in the legal system.”

The six officers were among eight involved in two anti-drug operations at the park that year, which led to the criminal complaints of misconduct in the present case. The park is home to more than 100 street sleepers.

Police sergeant Lam Wah-ka, 47, and officers Mok Chi-shing and Wan Pak-sze, both 29, were found to have fabricated evidence against Le Van Muoi by falsely accusing him of keeping narcotics inside a black plastic box found in his tent.