A lawyer for tycoon Peter Lam Kin-ngok criticised the police force yesterday for giving an inaccurate picture of how his client's speeding charge had come to be reduced in the middle of a court hearing.
Magnum Ng, instructing solicitor for Mr Lam, said Mr Lam's legal team would take further action to have the situation clarified if the police did not correct their submission to the Legislative Council, which will be discussed in today's transport panel meeting.
Mr Ng said the police had inaccurately stated in the submission that 'the defence counsel invited prosecuting counsel to accept a lesser charge' after the prosecution evidence had failed to meet pre-trial expectations in the hearing on January 10.
The police were also wrong when they claimed that 'the decision to accept the lesser charge was made by the prosecuting counsel, after consultation with the senior assistant director of public prosecutions and the police', he said.
Mr Lam, initially accused of driving his Ferrari at up to 114km/h in a 50km/h zone on the North Lantau Highway on April 5, later had his charge amended to speeding at 79km/h, to which he pleaded guilty.
Under the original charge, Mr Lam could have lost his licence. But under the reduced charge, he was fined HK$450.
Mr Ng said yesterday that barrister Alan Hoo SC, acting for his client, asked the prosecution to consider offering no evidence - effectively dismissing the case - after cross-examining Senior Constable Chan Tak-cheung on January 10.