RTHK Journalist Pleads Not Guilty In Yuen Long Case

RTHK journalist Bao Choy on Thursday pleaded not guilty to two counts of making false statements in relation to car licence plate searches aimed at finding the perpetrators of the Yuen Long gang attack in 2019.

Choy, 37, is accused of violating the Road Traffic Ordinance by not disclosing the real reason for licence plate checks on May 17 and June 10 last year.

She had been working on an RTHK Hong Kong Connection documentary into the violence in Yuen Long on July 21, 2019, which put dozens of people in hospital.

West Kowloon Magistracy set March 24 as the date for a trial and was told seven witnesses would be called.

Principal magistrate Peter Law said he would reserve the biggest courtroom available at the magistracy because he expected many people would be interested in sitting in on the case.

The offence Choy is accused of carries a maximum punishment of a HK$5,000 fine and six months in prison.

Around a dozen members of the RTHK Programme Staff Union staged a demonstration outside the court before the hearing.

“Support Choy Yuk-ling! Fearless and selfless!” the group chanted, holding placards that read “Journalism is not a crime”, and “Without fear or favour.”

The union said on Wednesday that Choy has been suspended from her production duties for Hong Kong Connection since her arrest in November last year.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Choy said she was disappointed with RTHK's decision, adding that she felt she was being punished for doing her job.

“I would expect RTHK to take up its moral responsibility, as well as showcasing the integrity of a media organisation. From this perspective, the decision of RTHK management to suspend me from my role as a journalist and producer of Hong Kong Connection was quite disappointing for me,” she said.