Hong Kong transport and housing chief and six legislators to appear as witnesses in lawmaker’s assault trial
Raymond Wong Yuk-man convinces court that they may have seen what happened during 2014 incident where he allegedly threw glass at chief executive
Secretary for Transport and Housing Anthony Cheung Bing-leung and six lawmakers will be summoned as witnesses in radical lawmaker Raymond Wong Yuk-man’s trial for alleged assault on Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying in July 2014.
The trial was originally scheduled to start on Monday at Eastern Court but has been adjourned to next week.
On Monday the independent lawmaker once again made a request for the court to summon witnesses – 11 this time round – for the case. They included Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Chan Ka-Keung and Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing.
Hong Kong lawmaker’s bid to call 70 defence witnesses in assault trial rejected a second time
The request came after magistrate Chu Chung-keung rejected all but one of Wong’s requests to summon 70 witnesses for the case on April 1.
The bid to call the city’s transport and housing chief was the only request the magistrate approved, as the former allegedly spoke to Wong, 64, after the incident, saying: “Don’t be so radical, throwing a glass.”
Chu earlier said the official’s comment suggested that he may have seen what happened and could provide key evidence to help the court.
On July 3, 2014, Wong allegedly assaulted the city’s leader by throwing a glass and a sheaf of documents during a question-and-answer session in the Legco chamber.
Lawmaker Wong Yuk-man arrested for throwing glass at Chief Executive CY Leung
As support for his request for witnesses, Wong presented images of news footage in court, stating that the lawmakers he wished to be summoned had seen the incident.
He also showed the magistrate WhatsApp messages from lawmakers Leung Yiu-chung and Joseph Lee Kwok-lun, who claimed they had witnessed the incident.
After hearing Wong’s submission, the magistrate granted his request to summon six lawmakers, but rejected the rest. The other four legislators are Kwok Ka-ki, Abraham Shek Lai-him, James Tien Pei-chun and Albert Chan Wai-yip.
It was earlier revealed in court that the prosecution will summon 20 witnesses, including the chief executive and his bodyguards, as well as a lawmaker.
On Monday, Wong also applied to postpone court proceedings of the case indefinitely, but was rejected by the court. The application was eventually withdrawn.
Meanwhile, the prosecution said it has submitted new evidence and witness statements for the case. In light of the new evidence, the magistrate agreed to adjourn the case to April 19.
