An unemployed man is facing the prospect of life in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge under an anti-terrorist law for planning to bomb and kill Hong Kong police officers at the height of the 2019 anti-government protests.
Eddie Pang Kwan-ho on Monday admitted in the High Court to a joint count of conspiracy to commit bombing of prescribed objects under the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance, which was invoked for the first time since its enactment in 2002.
The ordinance was drafted in response to a UN resolution after the September 11 attacks in the United States. It is unrelated to the national security law imposed by Beijing in June 2020.
Pang was charged in relation to an alleged plot to murder police officers and bomb key targets during a march in Wan Chai on December 8, 2019.
He admitted to partaking with others in unlawfully and intentionally delivering, placing or detonating two explosive devices with the intention to cause death and hurt others at the scene.
Five other defendants – Cheung Chun-fu, Chung Suet-ying, David Su, Choi Hoi-ming, and Chan Yuk-lung – pleaded guilty to various charges before Mrs Justice Judianna Barnes Wai-ling.
Woman pleads guilty to roles in failed bomb plot, attempt to flee Hong Kong
Woman pleads guilty to roles in failed bomb plot, attempt to flee Hong Kong
Su admitted to a joint count of conspiracy to commit murder.
Court documents showed that Su and Chung, the only female defendant among the six, had also kept a rifle and more than 240 bullets in a residential flat in Tai Po. They pleaded guilty to two and one firearms charges, respectively.
Cheung admitted to possessing explosives and arms for keeping two boxes of fireworks and four cans of pepper spray inside an industrial unit in Tsuen Wan.
Chan separately admitted to two firearms offences for keeping a pistol and 92 live rounds in a flat in Sha Tin.
Choi pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting others to make two detonating devices.
Barnes adjourned the case to Tuesday.