Hong Kong court jails man for 14 years over ‘evil’ bomb plot
35-year-old admitted making explosives as part of a plot against authorities to plunge the city into ‘maximum chaos’ during 2019 unrest
The High Court on Thursday convicted Cheung Lai-ming of four charges after he pleaded guilty to making explosives at his public rental flat in Wong Tai Sin, with a view to carrying out attacks between August 2019 and May 2022.
The 35-year-old programmer also admitted keeping more than 20kg (44lbs) of chemicals capable of making explosives at his home and in a storage room in San Po Kong.
Prosecutors agreed not to pursue the terrorism charge on condition that he pleaded guilty to the remaining four counts under the colonial-era Crimes Ordinance: conspiracy to cause explosions likely to endanger life or property, attempting to make an explosive substance, and two counts of possessing explosive substances.
Mr Justice Andrew Chan Hing-wai said Cheung and his co-conspirators intended to plunge the city into “maximum chaos”, disrupt public order and undermine the stability of Hong Kong’s political system by targeting government officials, police officers and judges.