Hong Kong’s justice department drops manslaughter case against 2 doctors linked to liver patient’s death, says charges fell short of prosecution standards
- Lam Chi-kwan, 50, and Chan Siu-kim, 46, each faced one count of manslaughter over death of 44-year-old woman who succumbed to severe liver failure six years ago
- Prosecutors say they withdrew charges after careful consideration of Prosecution Code
Hong Kong’s justice department has dropped a high-profile manslaughter case against two public hospital doctors linked to a liver patient’s death six years ago, saying the charges fell short of criminal prosecution standards.
Prosecutors told Eastern Court on Tuesday they had decided to withdraw the arraignment after careful consideration of the Prosecution Code, but did not explain further.
Principal Magistrate Ivy Chui Yee-mei granted the request, paving the way for separate inquest proceedings to begin in the Coroner’s Court.
Lam Chi-kwan, 50, and Chan Siu-kim, 46, had each faced a count of manslaughter over the death of Tang Kwai-sze, who succumbed to liver failure at United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong on August 26, 2017.
The case involved an alleged mix-up of drug prescriptions, which ultimately led to Tang, a mother of two, suffering acute liver failure after multiple surgical procedures failed to save her life.