Accused MTR arsonist says he wanted to be a media star
An elderly man accused of starting a fire on an MTR train told police he was responsible for the blaze because he wanted to become a media star, the Court of First Instance heard yesterday.
Yim Kam-chung, 68, said in a videotaped interview shown to the jury that, as a figure in the news, he would have the opportunity to draw public attention to what he called the government's persecution of him. Yim told police when arrested that he was the arsonist.
'Since the government confiscated six of my vehicles, I decided to cause a tragedy at the Admiralty MTR station,' he said at the time.
'Because my name is Yim Kam-chung [the Chinese characters of the name Kam-chung mean Admiralty], I picked Admiralty MTR station,' he added.
Yim is accused of starting a fire on January 5 last year, shortly after the train left Tsim Sha Tsui for Admiralty. He has pleaded not guilty to arson, and is representing himself.
The prosecution said no one was injured in the blaze, which was put out at Admiralty station.
Yim was arrested after the Correctional Services Department received a letter the following day containing details of the blaze.
Fung Kwong-chung, an engineer travelling on the Admiralty-bound train on that day, told the court on Monday he had caught a glimpse of Yim, who was only half a metre from him.
He said he had seen the right side of Yim's face for one second.
Kwai Sze-kit, another passenger, told the court last Friday that he had seen Yim using a lighter to set fire to a bottle wrapped in a towel. He said he immediately shouted at him not to light a fire. He also tried in vain to extinguish the burning bottle.
The case continues today before Mr Justice Louis Tong Po-sun.
