Actress cleared over cocaine charge

An actress accused of possessing drugs after being stopped by police at a roadblock in November was acquitted yesterday.

Taiwan-born Cherrie Ying Choi-yee, 21, was cleared at the Kowloon Court of one count of possessing 0.35 gram of cocaine. She had denied the charge.

Ying, whose real name is Ting Win, was arrested early on the morning of November 6 after the car she and three friends were in was stopped at a roadblock in Cumberland Road, Kowloon City.

Magistrate Abu Bakar bin Wahab noted that the officer who supervised the roadblock that day, Sergeant Chan Kwok-kei, had admitted to giving inconsistent evidence concerning Ying's arrest.

He said Sergeant Chan might have speculated on circumstances surrounding Ying's arrest. Sergeant Chan, a 30-year veteran with the force, had claimed he saw Ying getting rid of a suspicious white packet after the car was stopped.

Mr Wahab also noted that Ying's medical report showed she had never had a drug habit.