Hong Kong court orders arrest of singer Tommy Yuen for ignoring theft charge

A Hong Kong magistrate has issued a warrant for the arrest of singer Tommy Yuen Man-on after he failed to appear in court to answer a shoplifting charge.

Yuen, a former member of the defunct Cantopop boy band E-kids, was expected to appear in Kowloon City Court on Wednesday on a count of theft for allegedly stealing HK$144.50 (US$18.40) worth of snacks and drinks from a supermarket last month.

A charge sheet indicated the 45-year-old stole six bottles of Coke, tea and water, as well as sweets, potato chips, biscuits and peanuts from the Wellcome supermarket chain at Ma Tau Kok Road on June 18.

He was detained for 10 hours before police released him on HK$500 bail pending the court hearing.

Magistrate Philip Chan Chee-fai granted the prosecutors’ request for an arrest warrant after confirming the defendant had not engaged a duty lawyer to handle the case.

Chan said his preliminary view was to extend Yuen’s bail after he appeared in court, but that he would raise the defendant’s bail to HK$3,000.