Police officers filmed Democratic Party members preparing to bail out Cheng at police station, and a video of the Blue Ribbon Group’s “money collection demonstration” rumor immediately followed
Democratic Party (DP) member Cheng Lai-king was arrested at midnight this morning and a number of party members went to the police station this morning to show their support. A video has been circulated on the Internet which shows Kam Nai-wai, a member of the Central and Western District Council, suspected of “handing out money” to supporters. The Democratic Party explained afterwards that the people were only chipping in money to bail Cheng out, not paying for the demonstration, and suspected that the video was taken from inside the police station and that some police officers had “incited rumours”.
The Stand News asked the Police by email whether the video was filmed and published by police officers; whether the practice had violated the law; how to respond to the allegation of “inciting rumours”; and whether it would follow up the investigation, etc. Police responded at night with a seven-word response: “Police will find out about the incident.”
Today, a 16-second video was circulated among pro-establishment groups, showing Kam “handing out money” to party members such as Ted Hui Chi-fung. Many pro-establishment netizens have queried that someone is collecting money to show solidarity with Cheng. Democratic Party member Andrew Wan Siu-kin explained afterwards that it was because the police had suddenly increased the bail amount to $10,000. The group of party members then chipped in money to bail out Cheng and Kam was only returning the excess money to Hui.
The Democratic Party also wrote an article on FB, stressing that the people were just chipping in money at the time, but the “blue ribbon” smears them as money collection for demonstrations. The Democratic Party questioned whether the video was taken by police officers in a police station: “Is that inciting rumours? No arrest of police officers who offended the law?” The Stand News reporter found that indeed there were two men standing at a height inside the police station at the time, one of them was holding his cell phone up high, seemed like aiming at the entrance of the police station and filming.
Police (Discipline) RegulationsLaws of Hong Kong, Cap. 232A Police (Discipline) Regulations Part 1-03
(2) The offences against discipline are—
(a) absence from duty without leave or good cause;
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