Govt to appeal against subversion case acquittals
The Department of Justice on Thursday announced its intention to appeal against the acquittal of two of the defendants in a subversion case relating to an opposition plot to take control of Legco to disrupt government operations. Former district councillors Lawrence Lau and Lee Yue-shun were among 16 defendants who pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit subversion under the national security law. In a verdict delivered on Thursday morning, the judges said they were not sure if Lau and Lee had intended to subvert state power. After the lunch break, Director of Public Prosecutions Maggie Yang told the court that the Department of Justice intends to appeal using the amended Criminal Procedure Ordinance. She requested that the pair be kept on bail, pending a decision on the appeal. But Lee's defence counsel argued against that, saying his client should be a "free man" unless the court grants the appeal. The three-judge panel decided to extend the bail of Lau and Lee. They are now required to report to police on a monthly basis, instead of twice every week. The court also said mitigation hearings for those convicted are scheduled for June 25. Speaking to the media, chief superintendent Steve Li from the police's National Security Department welcomed the conviction of 14 defendants. "In the judgement, you can see that the court regarded this as a very serious case. This is a very illicit plot... The ultimate goal is to paralyse the government," he said.