Wong Kam-fai admits careless driving in campus crash case
HK01 · 6 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Former Legislative Council member Wong Kam-fai (黃錦輝), 66, appeared again at Sha Tin Magistrates’ Courts on November 11 over a traffic case arising from an incident at the Chinese University of Hong Kong on June 29. Prosecutors amended the original dangerous driving charge to careless driving, and Wong admitted the revised charge. Several outlets also reported that he admitted the drink-driving, failing to stop after an accident, and failing to report an accident charges, making four admitted offences in total. Magistrate Anthony Wong Kwok-fai adjourned the case to November 26 for sentencing or further handling, with social service and background reports to be prepared and bail continued.
Key Points
- The case concerns an incident on June 29 inside the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where Wong was accused of driving after drinking and colliding with two private cars.
- Court particulars said Wong’s breath alcohol reading was 45 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath, above the prescribed legal limit of 22 micrograms.
- The prosecution replaced the dangerous driving count with one count of careless driving at the November 11 hearing, and Wong pleaded guilty to that amended charge.
- HK01, am730 and Sing Tao reported Wong admitted all four charges, including drink driving, failing to stop, and failing to report the accident within 24 hours.
- The defence said Wong had undergone surgery for sleep apnoea, was extremely fatigued at the time, had resigned from LegCo and his Chinese University post, and sought a community service order or suspended sentence.
Why It Matters
The case remains closely watched in Hong Kong because it involves a former legislator and university figure whose arrest was followed by his resignation from public office. The differing emphasis in reports over whether Wong admitted one revised charge or all four offences also makes the November 26 hearing important for clarifying the final basis for sentence in a high-profile traffic prosecution.