Hong Kong protests: man who allegedly spread rumours on Facebook of police officers assaulting women at detention centre pleads not guilty to incitement charges

A construction worker has denied inciting protesters to besiege a controversial Hong Kong detention centre by allegedly spreading rumours on social media that police officers had sexually assaulted women held there during last year’s social unrest.

Poon Yung-wai, 37, pleaded not guilty to two counts of incitement at West Kowloon Court on Monday, after he became the first defendant to face criminal prosecution for provoking violence on social media since anti-government protests erupted in June last year over the now-withdrawn extradition bill.

He was alleged to have published four Facebook posts between September 19 and 21, accusing police of committing heinous crimes at the San Uk Ling Holding Centre in the remote Man Kam To area near the city’s border with mainland China.

The 80,000 sq ft facility was set up in 1979 to hold illegal immigrants before they were deported, but had been temporarily used to house arrested anti-government protesters last summer.

Prosecutors alleged Poon posted comments on an open Facebook group with more than 50,000 members under the alias “Kim Jong-un” – North Korea’s leader – saying female protesters detained in San Uk Ling had been molested and raped after they were given sedatives by police officers, with some committing suicide afterwards.