A prosecutor in the trial involving a thwarted 2019 bomb plot targeting Hong Kong police has asked the jury to weigh the evidence from the plan’s leader, even after the defendant-turned witness was portrayed as a gambling addict who had misused crowdfunded money.
The High Court heard prosecutor Juliana Chow Hoi-ling tell a panel of nine jurors in her closing argument on Tuesday that evidence from the leader of the “Dragon Slaying Brigade” Wong Chun-keung had to be considered “very carefully”.
“When you examine the evidence Wong gave in court, you may believe in some part of it and not believe in other parts,” Chow said. “You do not have to believe in everything he said, but meanwhile you do not have to dismiss him completely.”
Seven defendants have been charged under United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance, invoked for the first time since its enactment in 2002.
The trial is approaching the final stages, with the prosecution and defence making their closing submissions.
The group has denied involvement in connection with the thwarted plot to plant two bombs in Wan Chai on December 8, 2019.
Wong, brigade leader turned prosecution witness, earlier testified against his alleged teammates and accomplice Cheung Chun-fu, Cheung Ming-yu, Yim Man-him, Christian Lee Ka-tin and Lau Pui-ying.
Other evidence alleged defendants Lai Chun-pong and Justin Hui Cham-wing belonged to the team under plot mastermind Ng Chi-hung.
Wong and Ng both pleaded guilty.
During the trial, the defence lawyers tried to attack Wong’s credibility by pointing to financial records that showed he had spent about HK$300,000 (US$38,400) on football betting.
Wong previously admitted he had received more than HK$4 million from supporters of the 2019 protest, while some of the money came from a Telegram channel co-managed with Lau.
Chow said the prosecution would not contend that Wong had spent the money from crowdfunding to feed his gambling habit.
She asked the jury to put themselves in Wong’s shoes and imagine what led a young man to go overboard on gambling after receiving millions of Hong Kong dollars in his early twenties.
She also reminded the jury to put aside their personal views and stance on politics as well as the 2019 social movement.
The prosecutor asked the jury to consider whether the evidence suggested “an agreement” was made to carry out illegal activities months before the December 8 plot.
The court previously heard evidence suggesting some defendants did not know each other at the material time and did not join the meetings which, according to Wong, involved a plan to use guns and explosives to kill police.
But Chow said that as long as a person understood his role in the plan and its goal, he would be a conspirator who had entered into an agreement.
The jury was asked to look at a large amount of Telegram group chat records between the brigade members, as well as some private messages exchanged between Ng, Wong, and some defendants.
The prosecution claimed the messages showed the existence of the agreement and that some defendants were aware of the plan.
The prosecutor highlighted the messages sent from Cheung Ming-yu to Wong and Ng, respectively, in which Cheung inquired about when a gun would be shipped to the city and if he could use a combat knife.
She said Cheung was the only person among the brigade members who had directly contacted Ng after the two went to Taiwan for a military training along with others that September.
But Cheung’s lawyer in the trial showed the court that his client had also texted Ng and said he would not escalate violence and kill police.
The prosecution will continue its submission on Wednesday.
