Radical lawmakers unlikely to lose seats over suspended jail terms

Two radical lawmakers are expected to keep their Legislative Council seats, despite receiving suspended jail terms yesterday for their leading roles in an unlawful assembly two years ago.

Under Article 79 of the Basic Law, Legco can expel any lawmaker who is jailed for more than one month - if an impeachment motion is raised and supported by a two-thirds majority.

However, such a motion is unlikely to succeed because the pan-democratic bloc, with 27 seats, would be expected to vote it down.

Wong Yuk-man, the People Power legislator who quit the party on Monday, was sentenced to six weeks in prison, suspended for 14 months. His former party colleague Albert Chan Wai-yip was handed a five-week jail term, suspended for a year. They were also fined HK$4,800 each.

They described the sentences as unreasonable and vowed to appeal.

Eastern Court Magistrate Joseph To Ho-shing said Wong received the heavier punishment for making false accusations in court against the police.