Leader of bomb plot targeting Hong Kong police admits he spent most crowdfunded money on himself
- ‘Dragon Slaying Brigade’ leader Wong Chun-keung says he spent money raised through crowdfunding on petrol bombs, but also on trip to Thailand, betting and loan repayments
- Wong’s relationship with sole female defendant, Lau Pui-ying, comes under spotlight, with Wong saying: ‘She was not our core member, but I valued her as part of the team’
The leader of the “Dragon Slaying Brigade”, the team behind a thwarted 2019 bomb plot targeting Hong Kong police, has admitted in court that he did not use money raised through crowdfunding to support the group and the purchase of firearms, and instead spent it on an overseas holiday, football betting and repaying personal loans.
Plot mastermind Wong Chun-keung continued to testify for the prosecution at the High Court on Monday against female defendant Lau Pui-ying and six men, who have been charged under the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance.
Lau’s defence lawyer argued Wong had improperly used HK$245,000 (US$31,350) Lau raised through crowdfunding between November and December 2019 after the pair began to co-manage a Telegram Channel specifically created to appeal for donations.
Wong’s bank records presented in court showed that Lau had transferred HK$150,000 to him between November 8 and 11 that year, and Wong admitted he subsequently spent nearly half of it on football betting.
He told the court on Monday that bank records did not reflect all the donations he received, as two to three backers had handed him up to HK$100,000 in cash when he met them.
“About two to three financial backers directly gave me a large amount of cash. There were others who gave me less, and for those people, I did not really entertain them,” Wong said. “I would not go out and meet them just for that several thousand dollars.”