Court withdraws remaining charges against veteran doctor in fatal Botox incident

Twenty-one charges against a 93-year-old veteran plastic surgeon have been withdrawn after he received an absolute discharge on a manslaughter conviction linked to a fatal Botox procedure in 2018.

The defendant, Franklin Li Wang-pong, was granted an absolute discharge in November after being convicted of unlawfully killing 52-year-old banker Cheung Shuk-ling through gross negligence during a medical procedure at his Tsim Sha Tsui clinic on November 11, 2018.

Li had faced an additional 21 charges, including two counts of attempting to mislead police officers, 12 counts of failing to keep a register of dangerous drugs, and seven counts of failing to keep a register of dangerous drugs in the prescribed form.

He appeared before the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts on Monday morning, where the prosecution said it had applied to withdraw all remaining charges after consulting the Department of Justice.

Prosecutors cited Li’s deteriorating health condition, which rendered him unfit to instruct legal counsel or stand trial. Magistrate Philip Chan Chee-fai approved the application.

The court heard that Li was accused of providing false information to police officers by claiming Cheung had visited his clinic for asthma treatment, allegedly in an attempt to obstruct justice.

He was also alleged to have breached statutory requirements under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance by failing to properly maintain drug registers, despite being an authorized person in possession of controlled substances.

Li’s manslaughter case was previously handled by the High Court. A jury returned a guilty verdict in October after determining that his actions amounted to manslaughter. However, the court later found him unfit for trial due to advanced dementia, leading to his absolute discharge in November.

During sentencing two months ago, High Court Judge Anthony Kwok Kai-on noted that Li continued administering sedatives despite uncertainty over the patient’s fasting status and without monitoring her oxygen levels.

The judge also said Li failed to keep necessary antidotes on hand and withheld critical medical information when questioned by other healthcare professionals.