Members of kill-cop squad tested guns in Sai Kung and arranged gunman, court hears

Member of the “Dragon Slaying Brigade” had tested guns in Sai Kung under the guise of hiking in November 2019, the High Court heard on Wednesday, as the city’s first case involving anti-terrorism laws entered its second day. 

The six male defendants are Cheung Chun-fu, 24, Cheung Ming-yu, 21, Yim Man-him, 22, Christian Lee Ka-tin, 25, Lai Chun-pong, 30, and Justin Hui Cham-wing, 25, with the sole female defendant being Lau Pui-ying, 24. 

Continuing with the opening submissions, fiat counsel Juliana Chow Hoi-ling for the prosecution displayed the chat records between leader Wong Chun-keung and member Ng Chi-hung that the duo and their partners tested guns in Sai Kung in the early hours of November 17, 2019. 

There were also three gun testing videos sent from Ng to Wong, who mentioned that they needed to prepare some gasoline and claimed he had a safe house near Chrisly Cafe. 

The counsel continued that the brigade had a sub-unit and members of the two teams were very close, adding that Wong had traveled to Thailand with defendants Cheung Chun-fu, Cheung Ming-yu, and Yim before. 

Chow moved forward with the defendants’ discussions on “fire magic”, i.e. petrol bombs, and displayed the chat records of defendant Lai saying that he had only searched all the laboratories on the 13/F of Hong Kong Baptist University and didn’t find any useful raw materials. 

The prosecution then played a testing video of a detonator at the stairs of the office building where Lai worked. The bombs, later seized by police, were found to be using the same detonator in the video. 

The prosecution continued that member David Su was arranged to be the gunman during the Human Rights Day march on December 8, 2019, and the plan was to shoot officers with a rifle from the opposite side of the road after the bombs had been set off. 

Afterwards, Su would be transferred to a “drop zone” in Clear Water Bay and the getaway car would be disposed. 

Chow said the evidence suggested that Su had already planned an escape route beforehand. She further said it may just be the venting of emotions for a person to share about hating and wanting to kill someone, yet, the weapons purchased and on-site inspections before the operation proved that the plot was ongoing. 

The only reason the plot was not executed was because the defendants were arrested by police, she added. 

As for Lau, Chow said she was told by Wong that it would cost up to HK$10,000 to buy three pistols. Chow also pointed out that there were 938 transactions totaling some HK$2 million among Lau’s bank accounts, PayMe account and HKJC account between August 1 and December 9. 

Some HK$1 million was ultimately wired to Wong’s bank account, Chow noted. 

The prosecution has finished with the opening submissions and will summon witnesses starting tomorrow. 

The six male defendants all pleaded not guilty to a joint count of conspiracy of targeting specific objects with explosive devices. They also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to murder police and the alternative charge of conspiring to cause explosions likely to endanger life. 

Lee faces an additional count of possessing arms and ammunition with intent to endanger life while Lau pleaded not guilty to conspiring to provide or collect property for committing terrorist acts.