Riot Incitement Case Adjourned to November 17
On.cc · 2 SOURCES1 day ago5 MIN
Summary
A District Court hearing involving two men charged over alleged incitement related to the 2019 unrest was adjourned on October 8 to November 17 after the defence sought more time for one defendant to consider his plea. The case concerns allegations that the pair conspired to incite others to take part in riots, with one of them, Ng Tsz-lok (吳子樂), also facing two additional incitement charges. The court was told that if the remaining defendant pleads guilty, he will answer the charges together with the co-accused in December; if he contests the case, trial is expected in June 2027. Both reports also link the case to earlier police action alleging weapons-making and supply for frontline participants in multiple district riots in 2019.
Key Points
- The two defendants are Ng Tsz-lok, 32, unemployed, and Chan Wai-leung, 34, a photographer, in District Court case DCCC 737/2026.
- Both men are jointly charged with conspiracy to unlawfully incite others to participate in a riot between October 22 and 23, 2019.
- Ng faces two further counts alleging unlawful incitement between October 19 and November 8, 2019, and again between November 14 and 15, 2019.
- The defence asked that Chan not be required to enter a plea yet, pending legal advice and review of documents; the prosecution did not object
- Judge Alex Chan Kwong-chi adjourned the case to November 17, ordered continued remand, and indicated a non-guilty case would be listed for June 2027.
Why It Matters
The adjournment sets the next procedural milestone in a case tied to alleged online or recorded encouragement of riot participation during the 2019 unrest, and it clarifies the timetable for either guilty pleas in December or a contested trial next year. For Hong Kong readers, the hearing also shows how courts are sequencing related defendants’ plea decisions and remand arrangements in public-order prosecutions stemming from that period.