Several people were arrested in the 2019 PolyU incident, and prosecutions have continued to this day.
In November 2019, a large-scale conflict broke out at the Polytechnic University. Nearly five years later, the police arrested five men and charged them with rioting. One of them was also charged with criminal damage. When the case was heard in the District Court in October last year, one of the defendants was absent from the hearing and the court issued an arrest warrant; the remaining four defendants were heard again in the District Court on Thursday (15th). The defense revealed that two of the defendants intend to plead guilty to rioting, and the other two intend not to plead guilty. The case will start trial on May 4 next year, and the prosecution revealed that there are a total of 240 factual witnesses involved in the case.
The five defendants in this case are Cheung Chung-yiu (23, student), Cheung Chin-ming (28, unemployed), a 21-year-old male defendant surnamed Chan, who was a minor at the time of the incident, Chan Yuen-ming (31, secondary school teacher), and Lai Chun-kit (24, student). All are charged with one count of rioting for participating in a riot at the Polytechnic University between November 14 and 20, 2019. Lai Chun-kit is also charged with one count of criminal damage for damaging the door and wall of Room 712, 7/F, Block M, Li Ka Shing Building, PolyU.
However, when the case was brought to court last October, Lai Chun-kit did not appear. The prosecution revealed in court that police had called the defendant but no one answered. His family then stated that Lai had not been seen since leaving the house at 10 a.m. The judge, at the prosecution's request, issued an arrest warrant, while the remaining defendants were allowed to remain on bail pending further hearing.
The case was re-heard today, with the defense revealing that the first defendant, Zhang Songyao, and the third defendant intend to plead guilty to rioting; the second defendant, Zhang Zhanming, and the fourth defendant, Chen Yuanming, intend to plead not guilty. The trial is scheduled for May 4, 2021, and is expected to last 20 days. The plea and mitigation requests of the defendants who pleaded guilty will also be heard at that time. The third defendant, who was a minor at the time of the incident, applied to waive bail today and be remanded in custody immediately. The remaining three defendants were granted continued bail. Zhang Songyao and Zhang Zhanming applied to vary their bail conditions to report to the police station twice a month and once a week, respectively, which was approved by Judge Ko King-sau.
The prosecution revealed in court that there are 240 factual witnesses involved in the case, and will call a government chemist as an expert witness. Furthermore, the prosecution will play a 182-minute video recording. The other two defendants did not confess their statements. The prosecution also confirmed that, after consultation with the defense, the case will be scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 25, 2021.
