2 members of thwarted Hong Kong bomb plot stole chemicals from university laboratory to make explosives, court hears
- Eddie Pang and Lai Chun-pong broke into laboratory at Baptist University and stole chemicals from storeroom on November 14, 2019, court hears
- Theft was part of wider plan to detonate two bombs in Wan Chai on December 8 of that year during lawful protest, prosecution says
Two members of a thwarted bomb plot targeting Hong Kong police and civilians at the height of the 2019 anti-government protests stole chemicals from a local university laboratory to make explosives, the High Court has heard.
Prosecutor Juliana Chow Hoi-ling also said on Wednesday the only woman of the seven defendants charged under the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance, Lau Pui-ying, handled more than HK$2 million (US$255,230) raised through crowdfunding between August 2019 and that December to support the purchase of firearms and ammunition.
Lau has been charged with one count of conspiracy of providing or collecting property to commit terrorist acts.
The other six defendants – Cheung Chun-fu, Cheung Ming-yu, Yim Man-him, Christian Lee Ka-tin, Lai Chun-pong and Justin Hui Cham-wing – were jointly charged with a count of conspiracy to commit the bombing of prescribed objects.
The court earlier heard the plot called for planting two bombs in Wan Chai on December 8, 2019, when a lawful protest was taking place. The suspects had planned to kill officers after one of the bombs went off and collect their service weapons, according to the prosecutor.