DSE Candidate Has Bomb Hoax Charge Withdrawn
AM730 · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
A 19-year-old female DSE candidate, identified as Liuet Yuet-lam (廖月琳), had a charge of making a bomb hoax withdrawn at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Monday. The case arose after police conducting online patrols in July found an Instagram post that allegedly claimed explosives had been placed at the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority’s Lai King Assessment Centre in Lai King Estate, Kwai Chung. Police later searched the site and found no suspicious items. After seeking legal advice from the Department of Justice, the prosecution applied to withdraw the charge, and Chief Magistrate So Man-lung approved the application
Key Points
- Police said they discovered the suspected Instagram post during online patrols in July, prompting an investigation into an alleged bomb threat at the assessment centre
- The alleged target was the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority’s Lai King Assessment Centre in Lai King Estate, Kwai Chung
- Officers searched the centre after the online claim surfaced, but no suspicious objects or explosives were found at the location
- The defendant, 19-year-old student Liuet Yuet-lam (廖月琳), had faced one count of making a bomb hoax
- The charge alleged she knowingly conveyed a false message on July 17, 2026, intending others to believe a bomb or explosive device had been placed there
Why It Matters
False bomb threats involving examination-related venues can trigger emergency responses and disrupt public confidence in major assessment arrangements in Hong Kong. The withdrawal also shows that prosecutors may revisit whether a charge should proceed after consulting the Department of Justice, even after an arrest and court mention