'Cheng Chung-tai Breached Oath With Flag Stunt'

A Legco investigation committee has found that Civic Passion lawmaker Cheng Chung-tai breached his oath of office by turning small replica SAR and national flags upside down at the council in October 2016.

The seven members of the panel – all of them from the pro-establishment camp – unanimously agreed that Cheng's behaviour was unacceptable and he had disrespected both Hong Kong and the country.

The finding will lead to a motion to censure Cheng for the stunt and while he would lose his seat if that motion was passed, the move is very unlikely to get the required backing of two-thirds of all councillors.

In September last year, Cheng was fined HK$5,000 after being found guilty by Eastern Magistracy of desecrating the tiny flags.

DAB lawmaker Lau Kwok-fan had told the court that he had taken the flags to Legco that day and pro-establishment lawmakers had placed them on their desks.

Cheng was later caught on TV footage turning the flags upside down, after pro-government legislators had staged a walk-out to prevent several members of the pro-democracy camp from re-taking their oaths of office.

Cheng has said his action was just to poke fun at the pro-establishment camp for their "cheap display of patriotism".