28 Jan 2025法庭線#4474
Anti-terrorism second case | O Division station sergeant denies using force to obtain first defendant’s phone password, says “the defendant handed it over voluntarily”
2020 年初，明愛醫院、羅湖港鐵車廂被發現有爆炸品，Telegram 頻道「九十二籤」事後承認責任。7 人被控《反恐條例》罪名，餘下 1 人被控以「企圖製造炸藥」罪。8 人不認罪，周二（28 日）於高院踏入第 43 天審訊。
首被告何卓為一方續盤問時任 O 記警署警長，質疑當時警方「千方百計」並使用武力，以取得何的手機密碼。警答稱，「我唔同意，個密碼係被告自願交出嚟。」他又否認在進入錄影會面室之前向何稱，「肯錄咪好囉，唔會再打你。」
控方傳召翻查閉路電視片段的時任 O 記警員作供。他稱曾翻閱宏創方片段、何的錄影會面、何被捕後的相片等，憑其眼眉、眼睛、髮型、身型等，確認何的身分。案件下周一續審，警員將繼續作供。
In early 2020, explosives were found at Caritas Medical Centre and in a Lo Wu MTR train carriage. The Telegram channel “Ninety-Two Lots” later claimed responsibility. Seven people were charged with offences under the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance, while one remaining defendant was charged with “attempting to manufacture explosives”. All eight pleaded not guilty, and the trial entered its 43rd day at the High Court on Tuesday (28th).\n\nDuring continued cross-examination by the defence for first defendant Ho Cheuk Wai, a then O Division station sergeant was challenged over whether police had used every means, including force, to obtain Ho’s phone password. The officer replied, “I disagree. The defendant handed over the password voluntarily.” He also denied telling Ho before entering the video-interview room: “If you agree to the recording, that’d be good. I won’t hit you again.”\n\nThe prosecution called a then O Division officer who had reviewed CCTV footage to testify. He said he had examined footage from Wang Chong Fong, Ho’s video-recorded interview and photographs of Ho after his arrest, and identified Ho based on his eyebrows, eyes, hairstyle and build. The trial will resume next Monday, when the officer will continue giving evidence.
27 Jan 2025法庭線#4469
Jimmy Lai sues Ta Kung Pao for defamation; case referred to District Court after jury application rejected
壹傳媒創辦人黎智英於 2020 年入稟高院，控告《大公報》誹謗、發布題為〈亂港頭目謀『著草』路線曝光 收費100萬〉的文章，指黎欲棄保潛逃。黎一方早前申請審訊設陪審團被拒，案件周一（27 日）在高等法院再訊。
黎一方認為本案涉及公眾利益，應留在高院審理；《大公報》則指，法庭早前拒絕設陪審團的申請，認為可以轉介區域法院審理。高院聆案官萬可宜指，由於本案所涉最高賠償金額，不多於 300 萬元，下令轉介區院審理，並要求黎一方支付是次訟費。
Media tycoon Jimmy Lai filed a lawsuit in the High Court in 2020 against Ta Kung Pao for defamation over an article headlined “Escape route for ‘Hong Kong chaos ringleader’ exposed—charges of 1 million,” alleging that Lai intended to abandon bail and flee. Lai’s application for a jury trial was earlier rejected, and the case came before the High Court again on Monday (27th). Lai’s side argued that the case involved the public interest and should remain in the High Court. Ta Kung Pao argued that, following the court’s earlier rejection of the jury application, the case could be referred to the District Court. High Court master Phoebe Ho Yee Man ordered the case to be referred to the District Court because the maximum damages involved did not exceed 3 million, and ordered Lai’s side to pay the costs of the hearing.
27 Jan 2025法庭線#4472
Second Anti-Terrorism Case | Defence Questions “Fabricated Story” Covering Up Beating of First Defendant to Force Phone Password; Police Sergeant Denies
2020 年初，明愛醫院、羅湖港鐵車廂被發現有爆炸品，Telegram 頻道「九十二籤」事後承認責任。7 人被控《反恐條例》罪名，餘下 1 人被控以「企圖製造炸藥」罪。8 人不認罪，周一（27 日）於高等法院踏入第 42 天審訊。
時任有組織罪案及三合會調查科警署警長供稱，拘捕首被告何卓為後，一邊監督隊員處理拘捕程序，一邊向指揮中心報告。期間隊員稱何願意提供手機及密碼檢查，他遂指示隊員索取書面同意。
辯方指在何返回警署後的一個多小時，警署警長沒有記錄任何拘捕程序，質疑他編作上述程序，以掩飾當時警方毆打何，強逼交出手機密碼。警署警長一概否認，強調拘捕程序毋須逐一記錄，「呢啲自然過程，你唔會每一樣嘢都寫低」。審訊周二續。
In early 2020, explosives were found at Caritas Medical Centre and in an MTR train carriage at Lo Wu. The Telegram channel “Ninety-Two Lots” subsequently claimed responsibility. Seven people were charged with offences under the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance, while the remaining person was charged with “attempting to manufacture explosives”. All eight pleaded not guilty, and the trial at the High Court entered its 42nd day on Monday (27th).
A police sergeant formerly with the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau testified that after arresting the first defendant Ho Cheuk Wai, he supervised officers handling the arrest procedures while reporting to the command centre. During this time, an officer said Ho was willing to provide his phone and password for inspection, so he instructed the officers to obtain written consent.
The defence said that for more than an hour after Ho returned to the police station, the sergeant had not recorded any arrest procedures, and questioned whether he had fabricated the procedures to cover up the police beating Ho and forcing him to hand over his phone password. The sergeant categorically denied this, stressing that arrest procedures did not have to be recorded one by one: “These are natural processes; you wouldn’t write every single thing down.” The trial continues on Tuesday.
24 Jan 2025法庭線#4464
Second Terrorism Case | O Unit officer says arrest details were recorded in a “private notebook”, but not kept after years
2020 年初，明愛醫院、羅湖港鐵車廂被發現有爆炸品，Telegram 頻道「九十二籤」事後承認責任。7 人被控《反恐條例》罪名，餘下 1 人被控以「企圖製造炸藥」罪。8 人不認罪，周四（24 日）於高等法院踏入第 41 天審訊。
有組織罪案及三合會調查科高級警員供稱，協助隊員拘捕首被告何卓為後，在警署的接見室花兩個多小時，將拘捕的詳情、時間記錄在「私人記事簿」上，沒有記錄在警員記事冊，其後他再整理後，寫在調查報告上，惟沒有保存私人記事簿。
控辯雙方均找不到警員指稱的調查報告，警員則解釋，他所在的小隊並非調查小隊，調查報告「可能我哋冇畀到調查嗰隊人員」，事隔多年亦已沒有保存報告，「有可能係已經碎鬼咗」。審訊下周一續。
In early 2020, explosives were found at Caritas Medical Centre and in a Lo Wu MTR train carriage. The Telegram channel “Ninety-Two Lots” subsequently claimed responsibility. Seven people were charged with offences under the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance, while one remaining defendant was charged with attempting to manufacture explosives. All eight pleaded not guilty, and the trial at the High Court entered its 41st day on Thursday (24th).
A senior officer of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau testified that, after assisting team members in arresting the first defendant Ho Cheuk Wai, he spent more than two hours in an interview room at the police station recording the arrest details and time in a “private notebook”. He did not record them in his police notebook. He later compiled the information and wrote it in an investigation report, but did not keep the private notebook.
Neither the prosecution nor the defence could locate the investigation report referred to by the officer. He explained that his unit was not the investigation team, and that “maybe we didn’t give it to the officers handling the investigation”. As several years had passed, the report had also not been retained: “It may already have been shredded.” The trial will continue next Monday.
23 Jan 2025法庭線#4459
721 White-clad Men Case | Three plead guilty to rioting and other offences; judge says they knowingly participated despite premeditation, jailed for 4 years 8 months to 5 years 3 months
元朗 7.21 襲擊，事隔 4 年後再多 4 名白衣人被落案起訴暴動等罪，其中一人早前認罪已判囚，餘下 3 人吳偉德、王浩昇及鄭文傑亦認罪，周四（23日）在區院被判 4 年 8 個月至 5 年 3 個月。事發至今，共 12 名白衣人暴動等罪成被判囚（見內文表）。
法官謝沈智慧稱，「無可爭議的是本案早有預謀、早有計劃」，指暴動者帶備「保衛元朗、保衛家園」的標語牌，持鐵通、藤條到元朗站，本案有多人受傷，地上血跡斑斑，傷者的傷勢比案情所述更嚴重，裁斷白衣人作出「無分別襲擊」。
官拒納吳、王一時衝動，提到吳手持繫有紅旗的藤條、戴上手套，王則往南邊圍集合、取藤條，是明知有預謀仍參與暴動。官亦拒納 3 人的角色次要，指雖然他們 「均參與該暴動最嚴重及最暴力的部分」，就暴動罪以區院判刑上限 7 年為量刑起點。
Four more white-clad men were charged with rioting and other offences in connection with the Yuen Long 7.21 attack four years after the incident. One had earlier pleaded guilty and was sentenced. The remaining three, Ng Wai-tak, Chris Ho Sing Wong and Cheng Man-kit, also pleaded guilty and were sentenced at the District Court on Thursday (23rd) to between 4 years 8 months and 5 years 3 months in prison. To date, a total of 12 white-clad men have been convicted of rioting and other offences and sentenced to imprisonment (see table in the main article). Judge Adriana Noelle Tse Ching said that “it is beyond dispute that the incident was premeditated and planned in advance”. She noted that the rioters had brought placards bearing the slogans “Defend Yuen Long, Defend Our Homeland”, and had gone to Yuen Long Station carrying metal rods and rattan canes. A number of people were injured, with bloodstains visible on the ground, and the judge said the victims’ injuries were more serious than described in the agreed facts. She found that the men in white shirts had carried out “indiscriminate attacks”.
The judge rejected submissions that Ng and Wong had acted on impulse. She noted that Ng was holding a rattan cane with a red flag attached and was wearing gloves, while Wong had gone to a gathering in the southern area and obtained a rattan cane. The judge found that they had knowingly taken part in a premeditated riot.
The judge also rejected the argument that the three defendants had played only minor roles, saying that they had “all participated in the most serious and violent part of the riot”. For the rioting offence, she adopted the District Court’s maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment as the starting point.
23 Jan 2025法庭線#4462
Anti-terrorism second case | Defence questions four officers’ 15-minute watch outside first defendant’s meeting with lawyer; officer denies fearing alleged beating would be exposed
2020 年初，明愛醫院、羅湖港鐵車廂被發現有爆炸品，Telegram 頻道「九十二籤」事後承認責任。7 人被控《反恐條例》罪名，餘下 1 人被控以「企圖製造炸藥」罪。8 人不認罪，周四（23 日）於高等法院踏入第 40 天審訊，續由調查首被告何卓為的 O 記警員作供。
該警員供稱，何的其中一部手機內的 Telegram 群組，有標註「硫磺粉」粉末片段。在辯方盤問下，警員同意不曾告知何，他可不同意解鎖手機，惟稱若何不同意，當時可不簽署記事冊的聲明。
辯方亦指警員涉以武力逼使何卓為交出手機密碼、利誘他錄口供，指何見律師時有 4 警員在門外看守 15 分鐘，問警員是否怕何向律師透露被毆打？警員先後稱「因為我哋當時係一個小隊去處理…所以一齊喺出面等係好正常」、「我睇唔到有咩奇怪之處」。審訊周五續。
In early 2020, explosives were found at Caritas Medical Centre and in a Lo Wu MTR train carriage. The Telegram channel “92 Divination Sticks” later claimed responsibility. Seven people were charged with offences under the Anti-terrorism Ordinance, while the remaining person was charged with “attempting to manufacture explosives”. All eight pleaded not guilty. On Thursday (23rd), the trial entered its 40th day at the High Court, with testimony continuing from an O-division police officer who investigated the first defendant, Ho Cheuk Wai.
The officer testified that a Telegram group on one of Ho’s phones contained a video of powder labelled “sulphur powder”. Under cross-examination, the officer agreed that he had not told Ho that he could refuse to unlock the phone, but said that if Ho refused, he could decline to sign the statement in the police notebook at the time.
The defence also alleged that the officer had used force to make Ho Cheuk Wai hand over the phone passcode and had offered an inducement for him to give a statement. The defence said that four officers stood outside for 15 minutes while Ho met his lawyer, and asked whether the officers feared that Ho would tell the lawyer he had been assaulted. The officer said first, “Because we were a team handling it at the time ... so it was quite normal for us to wait outside together,” and later, “I didn’t see anything unusual.” The trial will continue on Friday.
22 Jan 2025法庭線#4450
Anti-terrorism second case | Sergeant denies stepping on first defendant’s groin to force him to disclose phone password, says there was no necessity at the time
2020 年初，明愛醫院、羅湖港鐵車廂被發現有爆炸品，Telegram 頻道「九十二籤」事後承認責任。7 人被控《反恐條例》罪名，餘下 1 人被控以「企圖製造炸藥」罪。8 人不認罪，周三（22 日）於高等法院踏入第 39 天審訊。
辯方指警方拘捕首被告時，涉毆打被告強迫他交出手機解鎖密碼，其中一名 O 記警長被指將被告蒙頭然後毆打，並踩着被告的下體，威嚇稱「唔講（密碼）我繼續踩」。警長接受盤問時一概否認。
警長又稱，拘捕後已將被告的手機放入防干擾信號袋，防止被用作遙控引爆炸彈，加上警方有其他方法檢驗手機，「當時冇必要性一定要被告交電話密碼」。審訊周四續。
In early 2020, explosives were found at Caritas Medical Centre and in an MTR train compartment at Lo Wu. The Telegram channel “Gau Sap Yi Cim” subsequently claimed responsibility. Seven people were charged with offences under the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance, while the remaining person was charged with “attempting to make explosives”. All eight pleaded not guilty, and the trial entered its 39th day at the High Court on Wednesday (22nd).
The defence alleged that police assaulted the first defendant when arresting him and forced him to provide his phone’s unlocking password. One sergeant from the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau was alleged to have covered the defendant’s head, assaulted him and stepped on his groin, threatening: “If you don’t tell me (the password), I’ll keep stepping on you.” The sergeant denied all the allegations under cross-examination.
The sergeant also said that, after the arrest, the defendant’s phone had been placed in a signal-shielding bag to prevent it from being used to remotely detonate bombs. He added that police had other ways to examine the phone and that “there was no necessity at the time for the defendant to provide the phone password”. The trial will continue on Thursday.
20 Jan 2025法庭線#4443
Second Anti-terrorism Case | Defence Says First Defendant Stayed in Hospital for 5 Days After Video-recorded Interviews; O Division Officer Says He Still Does Not Know
2020 年初，明愛醫院、羅湖港鐵車廂被發現有爆炸品，Telegram 頻道「九十二籤」事後承認責任。7 人被控《反恐條例》罪名，餘下 1 人被控以「企圖製造炸藥」罪。8 人不認罪，周一（20 日）於高等法院踏入第 38 天審訊。拘捕首被告何卓為的 O 記警員繼續接受辯方盤問。
辯方指，何在警署進行 5 次錄影會面，期間一度垂頭及現疲態。警員供稱，只見何「向住枱面去望」，翻看片段亦不覺他疲倦；警員重申問過何的精神狀況是否適合錄口供，指何不曾稱感疲倦。辯方又指錄影會面結束後兩小時，何送院並留院至少 5 天。警員稱事後才知何曾送院，「直至到現在我都唔知道」何曾留院 5 天。
In early 2020, explosives were found at Caritas Medical Centre and in an MTR train carriage at Lo Wu. The Telegram channel “Ninety-Two Lots” subsequently claimed responsibility. Seven people were charged with offences under the Anti-terrorism Ordinance, while the remaining person was charged with “attempting to manufacture explosives”. All eight pleaded not guilty, and the trial at the High Court entered its 38th day on Monday (the 20th). The O Division officer who arrested the first defendant, Ho Cheuk Wai, continued to be cross-examined by the defence.
The defence said Ho took part in five video-recorded interviews at the police station, during which he lowered his head at one point and appeared fatigued. The officer testified that he only saw Ho “looking towards the tabletop” and did not think he was tired after reviewing the footage. The officer reiterated that he had asked whether Ho’s mental state was suitable for giving a statement, and said Ho had never said that he felt tired. The defence also said that Ho was taken to hospital two hours after the video-recorded interviews ended and remained there for at least five days. The officer said he only learned afterwards that Ho had been taken to hospital, adding: “To this day, I still don’t know” that Ho had stayed in hospital for five days.
17 Jan 2025法庭線#4438
7.21 White-shirted Men Case | Man convicted of rioting and other offences in Ying Lung Wai sentenced to 4 years and 1 month; appeals conviction
元朗 7.21 襲擊逾五年，至今共 12 名白衣人罪成。男子鄧嘉民經審訊後，被裁定暴動、串謀有意圖而傷人兩罪罪成，判囚 4 年 1 個月。高院資料顯示，他已提出定罪上訴。司法機構網頁暫未顯示聆訊日期。
More than five years after the Yuen Long 7.21 attack, 12 white-shirted men have so far been convicted. Tang Ka-man was convicted after trial of rioting and conspiracy to wound with intent, and sentenced to 4 years and 1 month in prison. High Court records show that he has appealed against his conviction. The Judiciary website does not currently show a hearing date.
17 Jan 2025法庭線#4439
Second terrorism case | Defence says first defendant was beaten at police station and forced to give phone passcode, police induced cooperation; O Division officers deny all allegations
2020 年初，明愛醫院、羅湖港鐵車廂被發現有爆炸品，Telegram 頻道「九十二籤」事後承認責任。7 人被控《反恐條例》罪名，餘下 1 人被控以「企圖製造炸藥」罪。8 人不認罪，周五（17 日）於高等法院踏入第 37 天審訊，拘捕首被告的 O 記警員續接受盤問。
辯方指，首被告何卓為被捕後，在警署遭警員以黑布蒙頭毆打、腳踩下體及威嚇，才交出手機解鎖密碼，又指何在錄影會面中表示「講咗係咪有機會保釋到」、「點呀？阿 sir」，顯示警員誘使合作。警員一一否認，反指何問「點呀？阿 sir」一句，是問自己的聲量是否足夠。
辯方另指，何曾看到警員手機，一個名為「獵鷹行動」的 WhatsApp 群組，有訊息提及「叫兩個犯屈一個做主謀，駁咗個故仔先」。警員否認，指沒見過該群組。審訊下周一續。
In early 2020, explosives were found at Caritas Medical Centre and in an MTR train carriage in Lo Wu, and the Telegram channel “Ninety-Two Divinations” later claimed responsibility. Seven people were charged with offences under the Anti-terrorism Ordinance, while the remaining person was charged with “attempting to manufacture explosives”. All eight pleaded not guilty. On Friday (17th), the trial at the High Court entered its 37th day, with the O Division officer who arrested the first defendant continuing to face cross-examination.
The defence said that after the first defendant Ho Cheuk Wai was arrested, police officers covered his head with a black cloth, beat him, stepped on his genitals and threatened him at the police station, forcing him to provide his phone’s unlock passcode. It also said Ho stated during a recorded interview, “If I tell you, is there a chance I can get bail?” and “How is it, sir?”, indicating that the officers had induced him to cooperate. The officers denied each allegation, saying that when Ho asked, “How is it, sir?”, he was asking whether his voice was loud enough.
The defence also said Ho had seen a WhatsApp group on an officer’s phone named “Operation Falcon”, containing a message that said, “Get two defendants to frame one as the mastermind; refute the story first.” The officer denied this and said he had never seen the group. The trial will continue next Monday.
Translations are supplied by the source workbook. Consult the original reporting for context.
