High Court Nixes Bail For Councillor Ng Kin-wai

The High Court on Thursday revoked the bail granted to Yuen Long district councillor Ng Kin-wai – one of the 47 pro-democracy figures charged with subversion under the national security law.

National security judge Esther Toh ordered that Ng be remanded in custody once again after an appeal hearing, despite releasing former Democratic Party legislator Helena Wong on bail just a couple of hours earlier.

“Hang in there everyone. See you in 10 years," Ng shouted when he was escorted out of the courtroom, prompting chants from people in the public gallery.

The judge said she could not say that she was "satisfied that the defendant will not continue to commit acts that endanger national security".

She did not reveal why she came to this conclusion, but even if she had, reporting restrictions on bail proceedings would prevent the media from making this information public.

But Toh said she would hand down her reasons in a written judgement later.

Ng's fellow defendant Wong was earlier released on bail of HK$200,000 and told to surrender her travel documents and report to police several times a week.

She was also ordered not to make any speeches, contact foreign officials, or do anything to violate the national security law.

Thirteen of the other defendants in the case were also originally granted bail by a national security magistrate on March 4, but like Wong and Ng they were immediately remanded in custody due to an appeal against the decision by the Department of Justice.

Four of them – Clarisse Yeung, Lawrence Lau, Hendrick Lui and Mike Lam – were freed on bail on March 5, while the High Court is due to hold hearings to decide the fate of the remaining nine people, including former legislators Jeremy Tam and Kwok Ka-ki, on March 13 and 15.

The 47 defendants, who held primary polls last year to select pro-democracy Legco election candidates, are all charged with conspiring to commit subversion.