3 Hongkongers found guilty of conspiracy over 2019-20 bomb plots
Trio found guilty of conspiring to blow up targets at three public venues but jury clears them of terrorism charges along with four others
Three Hongkongers were found guilty on Thursday of conspiring to carry out bomb attacks during the anti-government protests of 2019, but they were cleared of terrorism charges along with four others.
A High Court jury of seven women and two men returned the verdict on Thursday afternoon to conclude a 163-day trial involving eight defendants linked to three bomb plots, after closed-door deliberations began on Monday morning.
The case centred on plots to trigger explosions at three public locations – Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po, a train carriage at Lo Wu station and during a memorial service in Tseung Kwan O.
The jury found three of the accused – fishing-gear seller Lukas Ho Cheuk-wai, 41, decoration worker Lee Ka-pan, 30, and programmer Cheung Ka-chun, 35 – guilty of conspiracy to cause an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property.
But the trio, along with security guard Ng Tsz-lok, 32, clerk Yeung Yi-sze, 33, government contract worker Cheung Cheuk-ki, 29, and university student Rebecca Ho Pui-yan, 26, were acquitted of the more serious charge of conspiracy to commit bombing of prescribed objects between November 2019 and March 2020.