Lack Of Quorum Hits Legco Probe Of Ted Hui

A Legco committee set up to discuss whether to censure Democrat Ted Hui was forced to adjourn a closed-door meeting on Thursday morning because not enough lawmakers turned up.

The seven-member committee was originally scheduled to meet at 8:30am to discuss whether Hui should be stripped of his seat for snatching a phone from a Security Bureau officer inside Legco last year. But it failed to meet its quorum of five members.

The committee's members include chairwoman Alice Mak, and Paul Tse, Tommy Cheung, Horace Cheung and Tony Tse from the pro-establishment camp; as well as pro-democracy lawmakers Dennis Kwok and Kenneth Leung.

While chairwoman Mak refused to divulge who wasn’t present at the meeting, she stressed the adjournment won't affect the committee’s progress.

“In fact the meeting was going to be a very short meeting handling some home affairs. I would try to organise another meeting in a very short period of time to sort out those administrative issues”, she said.

Mak added that it’s hard to tell at this point in time whether the committee can complete its probe before Legco’s summer recess in July.

Hui is currently on trial at Eastern Magistracy for the alleged run-in with the government officer in April last year.

He has denied common assault, obstructing a public officer, and access to a computer with criminal or dishonest intent.