Court to hear appeal by five 612 fund trustees on Jan 8

A hearing has been scheduled for January 8 after five of six people convicted of failing to register the 612 relief fund under the Societies Ordinance filed an appeal to the court. 

According to the judiciary’s website, the hearing for the appeal against conviction is expected to last for three days. 

The five appellants are Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, 92, former legislators Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, 76, Cyd Ho Sau-lan, 69, Cantopop singer Denise Ho Wan-see, 46, and cultural studies scholar Hui Po-keung, 64. 

The five former trustees of the fund, as well as secretary Sze Ching-wee, 39, were found guilty of failing to register the fund as per legal requirements under the Societies Ordinance in November two years ago. 

The former trustees were each fined HK$4,000 by West Kowloon Court and Sze HK$2,500. 

Back then, trial judge Ada Yim Shun-yee said the six defendants founded the 612 relief fund based on the same cause and this matched with the definition of a society. She subsequently ruled the defendants guilty for they failed to register the fund despite being its executives. 

Ng previously said outside the court that this was the city’s first case involving section 5C of the Ordinance and it was of significant importance to Hongkongers’ freedom of association. 

She also said she had to further study the legal issues in the judgment before deciding their next step.