Pro-democracy activist Avery Ng found guilty of disclosing details of ICAC probe against top Hong Kong civil servant Betty Fung
Magistrate says actions of League of Social Democrats chairman were driven by urge to seek fame and had nothing to do with public interest
A pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong is facing jail after he was convicted on Friday of disclosing details of an investigation by the city’s graft-buster involving a complaint he lodged in 2016.
Avery Ng Man-yuen, 41, chairman of the League of Social Democrats, was found guilty of three counts of disclosing the identity of individuals being investigated, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.
He was accused of revealing on social media and to reporters that Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee – who was the permanent secretary for home affairs between July 2014 and March this year – was under scrutiny by the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
In his verdict in Eastern Court, Magistrate Cheng Lim-chi said Ng disclosed such information to raise his profile and his actions had nothing to do with public interest as he had argued.
“He stated on his Facebook page it was time for him to raise his fame because of his low popularity,” Cheng said. “After studying the posts, I believe he disclosed the information [to do just that].”
