Hong Kong prosecutors drop corruption charges against prominent singer and pro-democracy activist
Wong will have to maintain ‘good behaviour’ for 18 months as part of his conditions announced by the court while dropping charges
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Your support makes all the difference.Prosecutors in Hong Kong have decided to drop corruption charges against a prominent singer and pro-democracy activist on the condition of maintaining “good behaviour” for 18 months.
Anthony Wong, a Cantonese pop singer was arrested on Monday by Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for a performance at a political rally held by Au Nok-hin, a pro-democracy activist, in 2018.
Mr Wong, 59, had performed two songs as a political rally and urged attendees to vote for pro-democracy candidate Mr Au in a legislative by-election. However, the authorities claimed that his performance violated the elections ordinance by allegedly swaying voters in the election. Mr Au, who won the election, was also charged in part for publicizing the rally and Mr Wong’s performance on social media.
The two were charged with engaging in ‘corrupt conduct’ for the violation against providing food, drink or entertainment to influence voters.
On Thursday, the Hong Kong prosecutors conceded that there is no evidence against the duo and that they can be released after paying a guarantee in the sum of 2,000 Hong Kong dollars (£184) each, and were given a binding over order of 18 months during which they must be on ‘good behaviour’.
“After considering the relevant factors, including the overall circumstances of the case, the relatively lesser criminalities of the defendants, backgrounds of the defendants and their attitudes towards the charge, the Department of Justice agreed to deal with the case by way of bind-over procedure and offered no evidence to the charge against the duo,” the ICAC said in a statement.
Mr Wong, who was just facing charges for the performance at the rally, can pay the guarantee and leave, while abiding by the conditions of avoiding any offences. While Mr Au remains behind bars over other charges, including an illegal assembly charge.
Mr Au, a pro-democracy activist, has been behind bars since March, and is one of 47 activists arrested earlier this year under the national security law over an unofficial primary held last year that authorities say was a subversive plot to paralyse the government.
Their incarceration was part of the series of other similar arrests following the government cracks down on dissent in Hong Kong following 2019 anti-government protests and the imposition of the sweeping national security law that has been used to arrest more than 100 pro-democracy figures, leading to concern subversion of free speech and democratic rights in the former British colony.
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