Hong Kong man denies exaggerating injuries after Occupy altercation over earlier police attack

Lawyer for retired policeman in the dock says alleged victim harboured grudge over separate incident a day earlier

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Frankly Chu denied one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Published: 9:45pm, 7 Nov 2017Updated: 4:23pm, 8 Nov 2017

A man who accused a retired senior police officer of assaulting him with a baton during Hong Kong’s 2014 Occupy protests on Tuesday denied exaggerating his injuries to take revenge on police over an earlier, separate alleged assault.

But Osman Cheng Chung-hang, 28, admitted he was confused about where the baton had hit him, after giving three versions to police and the court as he testified against Frankly Chu, 57.

Chu, a former superintendent, faces one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, alleging that he assaulted Cheng outside Shanghai Commercial Bank on Nathan Road in Mong Kok on November 26, 2014. Chu denied the charge.

Eastern Court heard officers had begun a clearance operation the day before the alleged attack. They were executing a court injunction to stop protesters from occupying the busy shopping district in a civil disobedience movement for greater democracy.

On Tuesday, Cheng admitted going to Mong Kok on November 25, the day before the alleged assault by Chu, during which he claimed he was kicked and injured by an officer he identified as PC9401.

At the time he posted on Instagram: “Brain-dead 9401, I will remember you kicked me.”

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