Fifty-two people have filed nominations to run in the December 19 election of local deputies to the National People's Congress, two more than in the previous election in 2008. Twenty-three of the candidates are seeking re-election. Only two are pan-democrats - Fong King-lok of the Professional Teachers' Union and Paul Zimmerman - two fewer than in 2008. Eligible candidates will be announced on Sunday.
Three former prison officers jailed in September for 16 months for inflicting serious bodily harm on a Taiwanese inmate were released on bail yesterday pending their appeal. The three were found guilty in the District Court over the beating of Chen Chu-nan in 2009. Last month, the Coroner's Court recorded an open verdict on Chen's death.
A former customs clerk Wong Yuk-ling, 56, was sentenced in Eastern Court yesterday to 140 hours of community service for conducting unauthorised searches on a database used by customs and police to keep track of suspicious financial transactions.