On Tuesday, Prosecutor Juliana Chow Hoi-ling initiated the first day of the anti-terrorism law trial at the High Court. She implored a panel of nine jurors to disregard their political views and concentrate solely on the evidence presented. The core question at hand was whether the six defendants had agreed to execute a plot plan for December 8, 2019. Cheung Chun-fu, Cheung Ming-yu, Yim Man-him, Christian Lee Ka-tin, Lai Chun-pong, and Justin Hui Cham-wing stand accused of conspiring to bomb specific targets under the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance. A seventh defendant, Lau Pui-ying, faces a separate conspiracy charge related to the provision or collection of property for terrorist acts. The prosecution introduced a ballistic report stating that the larger bomb contained 8kg of explosives and approximately 150 nails. This device was intended to be placed near police headquarters in Wan Chai. The report indicated that a successful detonation could have resulted in significant casualties and property damage within a 400-meter radius. Chow further presented Telegram chat records demonstrating that the group had undergone military-style training in Taiwan and tested firearms in a Hong Kong suburb prior to the planned attack. She stressed that the plot, if executed, would have indiscriminately harmed both police officers and civilians participating in a legal protest on December 8, 2019. Despite differing political stances, Chow urged the jurors to recognize the indiscriminate damage that the bombs could have caused. Evidence presented by the prosecution suggests that the defendants intended to detonate a smaller bomb containing 2kg of explosives near the Emperor Group Centre in Wan Chai to draw out police officers. The plot also involved plans to ambush officers as they arrived on the scene at Hennessy Road. Concurrently with the first bomb, a second device was to be planted at the same time and detonated later by a sniper positioned outside police headquarters, targeting law enforcement personnel. Chow informed the court that police discovered both bombs on December 9, 2019, at Wah Yan College Hong Kong in the same district. The larger device was found in a garbage bag, while the smaller one was concealed in a rucksack. Each bomb was connected to a mobile phone and could be detonated remotely with a single call, according to Chow. Earlier court proceedings revealed that two other group members, Ng Chi-hung and Eddie Pang Kwan-ho, who pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy, were responsible for assembling the larger bomb at the college on the night of December 8. The prosecution intends to present testimony from 133 witnesses throughout the trial. Among them are Pang, plot member David Su, and alleged mastermind Wong Chun-keung, who all previously pleaded guilty to the same offense. The prosecution’s opening statement will resume on Wednesday.
Jury Urged to Focus on Evidence in Hong Kong Anti-Terrorism Trial
