Hong Kong judge rules Jasper Tsang must testify in trial of protesters who smashed into Legislative Council last year

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Legislative Council President Jasper Tsang Yok-sing at the Legco complex. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 2:00pm, 16 Sep 2015Updated: 6:30pm, 16 Sep 2015

Legislative Council President Jasper Tsang Yok-sing must testify in a trial involving a dozen protesters accused of forcibly entering the legislature’s premises during a rally against the government’s New Territories new town plan last June, a magistrate has ruled.

Eastern Court Magistrate Jason Wan Siu-ming said that because the trial had not yet started the court could not rule out Tsang’s relevancy to the case.

“The court should give the defendants a chance to raise questions,” Wan said.

The court heard yesterday that defence lawyers for the twelve defendants facing charges arising from the June rally had issued, via the court, summonses to Tsang, Legco Commission chairman, and Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, the deputy chairman.

The Land Justice League and opponents of northeast New Territories development plans break through security lines and enter the Legco complex in June 2014. Photo: Felix Wong

They would like to call the pair as defence witnesses to explain their decision in calling the police after protesters stormed into Legco premises on June 13 last year. But a lawyer representing the commission, Barbara Wong, said the pair’s role was not relevant.

Wan described Tsang as “the most suitable” person, but he said Leung would give similar evidence as Tsang’s and thus struck down the summons for Leung.