Hong Kong police identify officer linked to shooting that left foreign journalist blind in one eye, but refuse to release name
- Veby Mega Indah was permanently injured while covering a protest in Wan Chai in September
- Force says it knows which officer fired a baton round at the time, but says it might not have been the shot that caused the damage
Hong Kong police have identified the officer who fired a rubber baton round at the time a journalist was shot in her right eye while covering an anti-government protest in the city.
But they said investigators could not confirm it was the shot that left Indonesian Veby Mega Indah blind, making it difficult to respond to her demand they identify the officer so she can take further legal action.
There is a six-month time limit for private prosecutions in Hong Kong, meaning Veby must bring her case against the officer before the end of March. The journalist of 13 years is also contemplating a civil claim against the officer.
Senior government counsel Vienne Luk Wai-nga, for the police, told the High Court on Friday the active investigation “was still ongoing”.
Veby, the associate editor of Suara Hong Kong News, had applied to the court for an order forcing the Commissioner of Police to disclose the documents showing the identity and unique identification number of the officer in question.