Hong Kong woman hit with weapons charge over suspected involvement in shooting incident last year
- The woman, a former assistant to two ousted lawmakers, stands accused of possessing a rifle and a pistol, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition
- Her case is allegedly linked to an incident last December in which a man fired a live round at police
A former assistant to two ousted Hong Kong lawmakers has been remanded by a court after she was accused of keeping unlicensed firearms at a residential flat alongside a man suspected of firing a live round at police in December amid last year’s social unrest.
Fanling Court denied bail to Chung Suet-ying, who was not required to enter a plea on Monday, over one count of possession of arms or ammunition without a licence, which is punishable by 14 years’ prison and a HK$100,000 fine.
The 29-year-old designer, who previously worked for localist legislators Baggio Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching before their disqualifications in 2016, was said to have unlawfully possessed a pistol, a rifle, 44 pistol bullets and 211 rifle bullets in Tai Po together with David Su, 18, on December 20.
Su has already been charged and remanded on suspicion of weapons possession, as well as for allegedly shooting at an officer with intent to resist lawful apprehension on the night in question.
Senior court prosecutor Alan Yau Sik-lun said Chung and Su were seen in security footage leaving the flat at Jade Plaza together several minutes before they were stopped by police. Su was subdued after opening fire, but officers lost track of Chung in the confusion.
Further investigations revealed Chung left the building 20 minutes later after changing clothes, Yau said, adding the seized weapons were confirmed to be genuine arms and ammunition upon forensic examination.
Police identified Chung as the second suspect in the firearms case following her arrest over another case last Saturday.
Principal Magistrate Don So Man-lung adjourned the case to December 21 for police to further investigate the matter, before turning down Chung’s bail application.
Chung’s case was handled by the police’s national security unit, although she was not suspected of committing national security offences.
The sweeping, controversial legislation – which only came into force on June 30 – grants officers extensive powers to investigate, arrest and detain potential offenders, and allows the executive branch, instead of the judiciary, to authorise communications intercepts in relation to national security.