A MAN held by police for six weeks on suspicion of rape was freed yesterday after the prosecution admitted it did not have the evidence to try him.
Wong Chun-kit, 20, was arrested four days after a teenage girl was raped and robbed on Tin Shui Estate, Tin Shui Wai, on September 26.
He failed in four attempts to secure bail after the Crown said it had strong evidence against him, even though the 14-year-old victim failed to pick Wong out during an identification parade.
Yesterday's proceedings at Eastern Court were expected to send the case to the High Court for trial, but the prosecution told magistrate Hugh Sinclair it was withdrawing the charge of rape and a further count of robbery, also denied, because of insufficient evidence.
The committal proceedings had been adjourned twice while officers awaited the forensic results.
Sources claimed yesterday DNA tests proved Wong innocent. Police refused to confirm this.
Wong's arrest sparked an angry protest by villagers who insisted he was innocent.
