More details emerge of assault cases against Occupy activist Ken Tsang and 7 Hong Kong officers accused of beating him
Occupy protester accused of assaulting and resisting police, while officers who allegedly attacked him charged with grievous bodily harm
Seven police officers accused of beating up an Occupy activist 12 months ago were yesterday formally charged over the alleged attack in a day of unprecedented legal drama that saw their accuser also charged just hours later.
But Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung rejected accusations the decision to charge activist Ken Tsang Kin-chiu on the same day as the men suspected of attacking him was an attempt to divert public attention, insisting it was made in the interests of "fairness" to both parties.
All eight men have been released on bail and are due to appear before Eastern Court on Monday.
Yesterday morning, on the first anniversary of the alleged attack on Tsang, 40, in Admiralty, seven officers - Chief Inspector Wong Cho-sing of the specialist Organised Crime and Triad Bureau; Senior Inspector Lau Cheuk-ngai, Sergeant Pak Wing-bun and constables Lau Hing-pui and Wong Wai-ho of Kwun Tong district; constable Kwan Ka-ho of Kowloon City district; and Chan Siu-tan, a constable from Kowloon East district crime unit - were jointly charged with wounding or striking with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Chan also faces a charge of common assault on Tsang in an interview room at Central Police Station. The officers are aged between 29 and 48.