A Hong Kong court on Monday sentenced three people to prison terms of up to 18 years for their roles in a series of bomb plots in 2019 and 2020, marking one of the city’s most severe terrorism-related rulings since the pro-democracy unrest.
The High Court found Ho Cheuk-wai, 41, Lee Ka-pan, 31, and Cheung Ka-chun, 35, guilty of conspiracy to cause explosions with intent to endanger life or property.
The trio were convicted in September after a jury trial under Hong Kong’s United Nations Anti-Terrorism Ordinance, enacted in line with a U.N. Security Council resolution.
Ho, identified by prosecutors as the ringleader, was sentenced to 18 years in prison, while Lee and Cheung received 16 years and eight months each.
Judge Johnny Chan said Ho showed “no remorse” and had “no grounds for a reduced sentence,” adding that deterrence outweighed rehabilitation in this case.
“The court must provide sufficient deterrence,” Chan said. “If remorse is limited or superficial, there’s no way to talk about rehabilitation and correction.”
The defendants were accused of planting homemade bombs at three locations, including a hospital, a train station, and a residential area, between 2019 and 2020.
One device was found in a toilet at Caritas Medical Centre in Kowloon, while another was placed on a train at Lo Wu station. Both detonated but caused no injuries.
A third explosive was discovered near a car park ahead of a memorial event for a student who died during the 2019 pro-democracy protests.
A group calling itself “92 Sign” claimed responsibility on Telegram, saying it aimed to pressure medical workers to strike and the government to close Hong Kong’s borders during the early Covid-19 outbreak.
All three defendants pleaded not guilty, maintaining their innocence throughout the trial. Five other co-defendants were acquitted.
The trio appeared calm and smiled as their sentences were read out, while relatives in the courtroom broke down in tears.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
