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The trial of eight people who were allegedly involved in three bomb plots in early 2020 has begun, with seven of them facing the same charge that saw a man sentenced to almost 24 years in prison days ago.
The defendants – Ho Cheuk-wai, Lee Ka-pan, Ng Tsz-lok, Cheung Ka-chun, Yeung Yi-sze, Cheung Cheuk-ki, Ho Pui-yan, and Chow Ho-man – appeared at the High Court on Friday to face a jury trial after allegedly planting bombs in a public hospital and near Lo Wu border crossing point.
They were also accused of planning to place another bomb in a car park where a young man fell – and later died – amid a police-protesters clash in November 2019. But the plan was foiled as police arrested the group on March 7, 2020, a day ahead of the alleged action, according to Barrister Priscilia Lam, for the prosecution.
The first seven defendants face a charge of conspiracy to commit bombing of prescribed objects under the city’s United Nations anti-terrorism law. The group could be jailed for life. All pleaded not guilty.
Last week, a man was jailed for 23 years and 10 months after pleading guilty to the same offence over a separate bomb plot to murder police at a rally during large-scale pro-democracy protests and unrest in 2019 – the longest sentence handed out yet for a case relating to the protests.
Lam told the court on Friday that the group were allegedly involved in placing a homemade bomb in a men’s toilet cubicle at Caritas Medical Centre in Cheung Sha Wan on January 27, 2020, and another bomb on a train heading to Lo Wu on February 2 that year. Both devices were set off but no injuries were reported.
The group then planned to place a bomb near a car park in Tseung Kwan O, where 22-year-old university student Alex Chow died from head injuries following a fall there near a protest, Lam claimed as she delivered the prosecution’s opening statement.
Protests over a since-axed extradition bill in 2019 escalated after Chow’s death as protesters alleged Chow was forced to jump because of tear gas rounds fired by officers during a dispersal operation nearby.
Crowds gathered on the date of his death each month outside the car park in mourning, which sometimes turned into conflict with police.
A coroner’s court inquest in 2021 failed to determine the cause of his death.
‘Target border crossing points’
Defendants Ho Cheuk-wai and Lee Ka-pan are accused of renting two units at a Tai Kok Tsui building where the group tested the explosives and stored bomb-making materials.
CCTV footage played to the court showed Lee buying a pan and multiple glass bottles, which Lam said were used for preparing homemade bombs.
Lee also allegedly placed the bomb in a men’s toilet at Caritas Medical Centre in the early hours on January 27, Lam said, citing CCTV footage from the hospital, but added that the defence had disputed the clips.
The group allegedly detonated the bomb using a Telegram messaging app bot, Lam said, accusing defendant Cheung Ka-chun of making the remote controlled device.
Telegram messaging records allegedly exchanged by Ho and fellow defendant Yeung Yi-sze suggested that the bomb did not go off as expected, while Yeung allegedly said “failure teaches success” and “at least not being arrested.”
Lam also told the court that the group drafted a message posted to a public Telegram platform shortly after the hospital explosion, claiming responsibility while calling for the closure of Hong Kong’s borders with mainland China in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.
“This is a critical juncture for Hong Kong when only the closing of borders can effectively prevent zombies from entering the city,” the post read with a pejorative reference to people carrying the Covid-19 virus, which was first found in China.
“Next we will target border crossing points,” the post added.
The second bomb was discovered by a janitor on a train arriving at Lo Wu station in the afternoon of February 2, Lam said, adding that the bomb went off before police arrived on the scene.
Ho, and another defendant, Ng Tsz-lok, moved the bomb from the Tai Kok Tsui warehouse with Yeung allegedly leaving the bomb on the train with an unidentified man, according to the prosecution.
Telegram messaging logs showed the group allegedly prepared another statement claiming responsibility for the Lo Wu explosion.
“No matter how solid the Hong Kong police’s defence, we have different methods to set [bombs],” the post read.
The messaging records also showed discussions about bombing vehicles that belonged to China Travel Service (Hong Kong) and police vans.
Expert witnesses will be called to the box to detail how the group made the bombs and their explosive power, Lam added.
The seven also face an alternative charge of conspiracy to cause explosions with intent to endanger life or property – an lesser offence with a maximum penalty of 20 years in jail.
Lee faces an extra charge of perverting the course of justice. Chow Ho-man, the last defendant, faces a charge of “attempting to make an explosive” alone.
Prosecutors accused Chow Ho-man of attempting to make a bomb in a residential unit in Kowloon Bay on March 7, 2020, when he was arrested. The offence carries a maximum penalty of 14 years behind bars.
The first four defendants have been remanded in custody since their first court appearance in March 2020.
The trial continues on Monday. It is expected to last 100 working days.
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