A 26-year-old woman who was arrested on Saturday by the Hong Kong national security police and charged with perverting the course of justice has been denied bail.
Eastern Magistrates’ Courts. File photo: Kelly Ho/HKFP.
The woman, identified as Ng Shuk-wai in a court document, appeared before Magistrate Don So at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Monday morning.
Ng – a childcare assistant – was arrested for “doing an act or a series of acts tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice,” according to a police statement issued Sunday.
Yu, a 26-year-old taxi driver, has also been charged with perverting the course of justice. He was accused of aiding the escape attempts of four Hongkongers who faced charges related to the 2019 protests and unrest and spent two years hiding in safehouses, according to local media.
The four were arrested in July 2022 as they attempted to escape to Taiwan by boat, and were sentenced to jail in 2023.
The prosecution identified Yu as Ng’s boyfriend and said that the pair worked together as lookouts for the four fugitives and provided food for them.
The prosecution submitted that Ng’s case was of a serious nature and applied for her next court appearance to be adjourned to May 6 while the police looked into her bank records and her computer.
The Hong Kong Police Force emblem outside the police headquarters in Wan Chai. File photo: Candice Chau/HKFP.
The defence submitted that Ng’s brother, who worked at a bank, could provide HK$80,000 as a surety to ensure Ng would attend her next hearing if granted bail.
Ng could report to Sau Mau Ping police station three times a week or whenever the court required, and she would not leave Hong Kong and comply with a curfew, the defence said.
Magistrate So granted the prosecution’s application and adjourned Ng’s next court appearance to May 6.
Yu appeared at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Saturday. The prosecution applied to adjourn the case for police to conduct further investigations, including checking his electronic devices and bank records.
Magistrate Jeffrey Sze denied Yu bail. His next court appearance will also be on May 6.
