Police To Follow Up Court Criticism Of Officers

The police said on Tuesday that they will follow up on criticism from the courts over the way some officers have handled protest-related investigations, and over their testimony during trials.

In recent weeks, the courts have rejected evidence from officers, questioned some of their actions at protests, and in one case, ruled that officers had told lie after lie in court.

The force has told an Independent Police Complaints Council meeting that any officers found to have behaved improperly could face disciplinary hearings.

Meanwhile, the police say they've finished follow up work on three of the 52 recommendations made by the watchdog in its report on last year's unrest, including on finding better locations for temporary detention facilities.

IPCC chairman Anthony Neoh says the authorities hope to work on the other recommendations in the coming year.

He said it was still "early days" but he had spoken to the Chief Executive, the Secretary for Security and the commissioner of Police "and they all assure me that they are treating this with the fullest urgency."

The watchdog was also asked if it needs to look again at the gang rampage in Yuen Long on July the 21 last year, after the police recently announced a completely new version of events.

The force now claims that rather than an indiscriminate mob attack on passengers at the town's MTR station, there had actually been a fight between two equally matched sides.

Some of the victims of the attack have since been arrested on suspicion of rioting.

Neoh says ultimately, it's up to the courts to decide what actually went on that night:

"Each case has to be based on good evidence before a prosecution can be brought, and therefore they need to produce a file for each case. They need to get legal advice, and then of course they need to bring the case to court," Neoh said.

"These are the procedures which our legal system requires to ensure that each citizen in fact has his right under the law to be prosecuted according to the evidence and only to be found guilty if the case is proven beyond reasonable doubt."