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SCMP Reporter

POLICE yesterday admitted a man was charged with rape and robbery because of political pressure to catch the Tuen Mun rapist, despite detectives believing in his innocence.

  Ho Sik-hung, 26, was held in custody for almost two days in March last year at the height of the terrifying spree of attacks by the Tuen Mun rapist.

  However, charges laid against Mr Ho were dropped four months later after prosecutors offered no evidence.

  This came about when police discredited key identification material.

  Police sources said Mr Ho, 26, an electrician and decorator of Tai Hing Estate, Tuen Mun, had decided not to take action against authorities for his wrongful charging because he was grateful that police organised a 'quiet' hearing, free of publicity, in which the case against him was ditched.

  New Territories North (Crime) Chief Inspector Wong Wing-kee, said last night he had always believed in Mr Ho's innocence.

  'You don't want to see a miscarriage of justice,' he said after hearing 23-year-old decorator Lam Kwok-wai was yesterday given a further life term for eight rapes.

  Mr Justice Bewley had earlier sentenced Lam to three terms of life imprisonment after he admitted attacking 10 women - killing three, raping eight and robbing seven.

  Chief Inspector Wong said he had investigated Mr Ho's background 'and we checked his alibi - and it was proved - but we were in a dilemma'.

  'We were under enormous pressure from people who are only interested in votes and they gave us a lot of pressure.

  'There was community outcry in Tuen Mun. That is why I hated the political interference.'   The Legal Department recommended charging Mr Ho after a victim, who turned out to be Lam's fourth, said she recognised Mr Ho as her attacker.

  However, Mr Ho's wife, in a separate interview, verified exactly her husband's account of his movements on the night in question.

  The victim was attacked on December 4, 1992, in Hing Ping House, Tuen Mun, and robbed of $2,000, a $3,000 gold necklace, a music box, two bank passports and a handbag.

  None of the items was found in Mr Ho's possession.

  Chief Inspector Wong claimed interference and calls for briefings on the case from local community representatives and politicians not only bogged down the investigative process but also created an unstable environment conducive to the wrongful charging.

  He said: 'He was identified by the victim on the street. It may have been evidence that was strong enough to charge somebody, but I quite believed his alibi was true.'   He said the police had strong identification evidence but he believed he was innocent.

  'But, all the while we were also saying we didn't have evidence to say he was 100 per cent innocent.

  'One of the victims said she saw this guy inside the lift of the same building, but, apparently, she was suffering from trauma after the incident.

  'This victim pointed him out to us.'   Chief Inspector Wong commanded the bulk of the 16-month hunt for the Tuen Mun rapist.

  Another man was also arrested in relation to the series of rapes, but blood samples later revealed no basis for his involvement.

  Investigators yesterday detailed the extraordinary extent of the investigation which included the use of hypnosis on a taxi driver, undercover female officers patrolling solo in elevators and the posting of a $300,000 reward.

  A computer - the Major Incident and Disaster System - logged thousands of personal details of New Territories residents, many with criminal backgrounds, who were considered possible suspects.

  With the aid of psychological profiling, this list was whittled down to a list of more than 200 people - upon which Lam appeared.

  Interviewing these suspects had already started when Lam was caught by chance in a raid at Hunghom.

  Chief Inspector Wong said he felt sympathy for Lam because he had endured a painful upbringing and his father, a gambler on the run from loansharks and living in Macau, had deserted him.

  'We are not cruel,' he said.

  'I did end up feeling for him. But, it is also very sad for the three [murdered] women. It is good to have him arrested.

       because you can see a degree of deterioration over that period.' 



Innocent man was charged with rape