Nine men jailed for staging a gangland tribute to the slain leader of a faction of one of Hong Kong's most powerful triad gangs - the Sun Yee On - had their appeal thrown out yesterday.
Mr Justice Patrick Li Hon-leung, in the Court of First Instance, dismissed the appeal filed by the men who were convicted in Kowloon City Court in January of acting like, or claiming to be members of the Sun Yee On.
The nine were arrested for holding a ritual at Argyle Street Playground in Kowloon City on August 27, 2010, to honour late faction leader Lee Tai-lung, nicknamed the Baron of Tsim Sha Tsui East. They were jailed for between eight and 11 months.
Lee was chopped to death by rival gangsters from the Wo Shing Wo triad group as he stepped out of his Mercedes-Benz at the Kowloon Shangri-La hotel early one morning in August 2009.
Among the nine were Lam Sai-hop, 56, a businessman with investments in movie production, and faction leader Law Ka-fai, 37, both of whom were jailed for 11 months.
Li said that in convicting the nine, the court had not made a blanket allegation that taking part in rituals during the Hungry Ghost Festival was a triad activity.
But the group knew they were paying tribute to a dead member of a triad.