Leader of Hong Kong radical group received HK$1.2 million during 2019 protests, court hears
Hong Kong Free Press
The leader of Hong Kong radical group “Dragon Slayers” received deposits of at least HK$1.2 million into his bank accounts during the 2019 protests and unrest despite only earning about HK$56,000 in the previous two years combined, a court has heard.
The High Court on Monday heard evidence from expert witness Lee Tang-yiu, a police forensic accountant, as the city’s first-ever trial under an UN anti-terrorism act entered its 39th day.
Seven people are standing trial in front of a jury over an alleged bomb plot targeting police officers during a lawful rally in December 2019. Six face a charge of conspiring to commit bombings while the seventh, Lau Pui-ying, is accused of funding the thwarted bomb plot.
Prosecutor Juliana Chow on Monday asked Lee to explain the transaction records of Wong Chun-keung, including an HSBC account, an account with mobile payment app PayMe, and a betting account with the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Wong, who founded the 10-member strong Dragon Slayers in August 2019 and was said to be behind the plot, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bombings and acted as a witness for the prosecution.
Wong received about HK$126,000 via PayMe between August and December 2019, according to the report prepared by Lee.
Wong’s HSBC account also received a total of HK$1.12 million deposits during that period, while the account balance in January 2019 was only HK$400-odd, the report said.
Wong had almost completely withdrawn the sum by December 8 that year, according to the report. The court previously heard that Wong was arrested that day in a safe house before the alleged bomb attack was to take place.
Between August and December 2019, Wong had deposited HK$786,000 into his Jockey Club account, and lost over HK$115,000 betting, the report said.
Wong earlier said he spent around HK$300,000 of his group’s crowdfunding proceeds betting on football.
“According to [Wong’s] tax returns, between April 2017 and March 2019, Wong made a total of about HK$56,000. Basically he lived on casual employment such as making bamboo scaffolding and technical jobs, correct?” Chow said, to which Lee confirmed.
‘Dragon incubator’
Separately, the report said Lau transferred HK$245,000 to Wong in seven payments between August and December 2019.
It also said Lau had received over HK$1 million from 431 payments, but Lee said he was not provided with the identities of those who initiated the transfers to Lau.
Chow said Lau had received more than HK$1.96 million during that period and withdrew HK$1.44 million, which Lee confirmed.
The court earlier heard that Lau was in charge of a Telegram channel that attracted donations for the Dragon Slayers during the 2019 protests and unrest.
But Lee said he was not asked by the police to establish a link between the transaction activities of Wong and Lau with any crowdfunding campaign.
Police had told him about the Telegram channel, named “Dragon incubator,” but did not elaborate on its operations and purposes, the expert witness said. He added that he had learned about the Dragon Slayers from news reports in 2019.
Lee said he spent about 10 to 11 months preparing the report, which was eventually submitted to the court in February. He said the content of the report was not affected by the trial, which began in April.
The trial continues on Tuesday.
Protests erupted in June 2019 over a since-axed extradition bill. They escalated into sometimes violent displays of dissent against police behaviour, amid calls for democracy and anger over Beijing’s encroachment. Demonstrators demanded an independent probe into police conduct, amnesty for those arrested and a halt to the characterisation of protests as “riots.”
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