• 11/11/2024

59-year-old man charged with murder, attempted robbery over fatal hold-up in Hong Kong 3 decades ago

Hong Kong Free Press

59-year-old man charged with murder and attempted robbery over fatal hold-up in Hong Kong 3 decades ago appears in Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts on November 13, 2023. Photo: Hans Tse/HKFP.

A suspect in a deadly shooting during an attempted robbery in Hong Kong three decades ago has appeared in court after being arrested on Saturday.

Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts. Photo: Hans Tse/HKFP.
Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts. Photo: Hans Tse/HKFP.

Wen Wenye, 59, who lives in the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen, was charged with murder and attempted robbery on Monday. He, along with two unknown men, stands accused of killing Cheng Kai-lam on June 9, 1991, inside a shop in Sham Shui Po, which they were also accused of attempting to hold-up.

Wen, wearing a pair of dark rimmed glasses and a black sport jacket, appeared at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts under police custody. Speaking in Cantonese, he said he understood the charges and did not apply for bail.

The prosecutor said that on that day, three men had broken into Shun Fat Shop, a second-hand gold jewellery and watch shop, and attempted to rob the store at gunpoint. One of the trio allegedly shot Cheng, who was the shopkeeper, in the head. Cheng was later certified dead at hospital.

An exhibit involved in a fatal shooting over three decades ago is shown to the press on November 13, 2023. Photo: Screenshot via Facebook.
An exhibit involved in a fatal shooting over three decades ago is shown to the press on November 13, 2023. Photo: Screenshot via Facebook.

The other two attempted to shatter the display cabinet in the store with a hammer but failed, the prosecutor said. One of them was believed to have been cut by the glass.

The three then escaped in a red car that was later caught in traffic. They abandoned the car and fled on foot, leaving a bloodstained T-shirt in the vehicle.

The prosecutor said Wen’s DNA and fingerprints matched those found on the T-shirt and at the crime scene.

Armed policemen were guarding the entrance to the court’s car park as police escorted Wen to the hearing on Monday afternoon, according to Ming Pao.

Arrested after 32 years

Earlier on Monday, police superintendent Alan Chung of the Kowloon West regional crime unit said Wen had been intercepted at the Shenzhen Bay Port border crossing when he had arrived in the city for a funeral on Saturday.

Chung said police had identified Wen as one of the suspects in 2021 and had placed him on a wanted list. He said that after Wen’s arrest, officers immediately sought help from experts from a government laboratory to conduct DNA tests and fingerprint matching.

Police superintendent Alan Chung of the Kowloon West regional crime unit speaks to the press on November 13, 2023. Photo: Screenshot via Facebook.
Police superintendent Alan Chung of the Kowloon West regional crime unit speaks to the press on November 13, 2023. Photo: Screenshot via Facebook.

“We believe the arrested man is one of the three robbers. We are still investigating his role – whether he was the one who fired the shot or tried to break the glass – but they were believed to have committed the crime as a group,” he told reporters in Cantonese.

Chung did not respond to questions regarding whether the police had also identified the other two suspects. “Because of the serious and the brutal nature [of the crime], we will pursue them no matter how far they’ve gone or how discreetly they’ve hid,” he added.

The fatal incident in 1991 occurred on the same day as another armed hold-up involving the notorious Yip Kai-foon, who was dubbed “king of thieves” and known for wielding an AK-47 assault rifle in a series of robberies during the 80s and the 90s. Chung said the police did not see any connection between the two cases at the moment.

Wen was placed on remand and will next appear in court on January 15 next year.

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https://hongkongfp.com/2023/11/13/59-year-old-man-charged-with-murder-attempted-robbery-over-fatal-hold-up-in-hong-kong-3-decades-ago/