Hong Kong activist Tang Kai-yin has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice at Hong Kong’s District Court, according to local media outlet The Witness. Tang attempted to flee from Hong Kong to Taiwan via speedboat, while facing charges related to the 2019 Hong Kong protests.
Tang’s attempted escape was halted as the speedboat was intercepted by the coast guard authorities of Shenzhen, China. Consequently, he served a three-year prison sentence in mainland China for illegal border crossing, following a sentence handed down on December 30, 2020, by the Yantian District People’s Court in Shenzhen. Tang was then transferred back to Hong Kong after completing his sentence.
The prosecution, during Tang’s Hong Kong trial, indicated that he had sought help from other activists via a Telegram group chat for his escape bid. It was also suggested that Tang spent about HK$350,000 on a speedboat, a satellite phone, and gasoline for the journey. It is reported that Tang transferred HK$240,000 to an individual known as “King Kong”, who was expected to remit the cash back to him upon his arrival in Taiwan. He informed the police about this transaction.
Despite his admission, Tang’s lawyer has requested a one-third reduction in his prison sentence, given his cooperative behavior after returning to Hong Kong. The District Judge, Ernest Lin, has yet to make a decision on Tang’s sentence, extending his custody and adjourning the hearing until April 16.
Tang’s charges are set against the backdrop of major protests in 2019, opposing an extradition bill proposing the transfer of fugitives from Hong Kong to jurisdictions without an extradition agreement, such as mainland China and Macau. After mass protests, the bill was withdrawn by former Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on September 4, 2019.
This case serves as one in a series of court actions against activists involved in the 2019 protests. For instance, four activists (Gregory Wong, Ho Chun-yin, Ng Chi-yung, and Lam Kan-kwan) were convicted for rioting at the Legislative Council Complex in July 2019. Similarly, on September 11, 2023, another protester, Fung Ching-wah, was sentenced to four years in prison for perverting the course of justice and rioting.
For more details, check this article on Jurist.