Hong Kong bomb plot ringleader planned to flee to Taiwan with team members if successful, receive further military training, court hears
- Mastermind Wong Chun-keung testifies he started preparing escape just days ahead of planned bombing of police officers in Wan Chai
- He says he planned for members of ‘Dragon Slayer Brigade’ to flee to Taiwan to receive second round of military training if they were successful in 2019 plot
A ringleader behind a thwarted bomb plot targeting Hong Kong police during the 2019 social unrest planned to flee to Taiwan with his team members to receive further military training if they were successful, a court has heard.
Plot mastermind Wong Chun-keung on Thursday told the High Court he started preparing for their escape five days before December 8, 2019, the date he learned fellow ringleader Ng Chi-hung had set for executing their plan to set off two bombs to kill officers in Wan Chai.
“When I learned of [Ng’s] ‘big mission’, I started arranging an escape plan for our team,” Wong said.
“I was thinking that we should team up with Ng’s squad and hold a second military training in late December that year, after we had already fled to Taiwan.”
Wong was testifying for the third day against his alleged teammates in the “Dragon Slayer Brigade” comprising about 10 “valiant” protesters.
Telegram group chat records displayed in court showed Wong sent details about a second military training in Taiwan to all team members, but some questioned its purpose.
The mastermind earlier testified that some of the members attended an initial military training run by a retired Taiwanese soldier on the self-ruled island between September 16 to 28 in 2019.
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Wong said some members asked him why the second training, said to be arranged by a woman identified as Christina, would be centred on strength-building exercises rather than the use of firearms. He explained that good shooters needed to be physically strong.
The court earlier heard Ng and Wong had finalised their bomb plot during a meeting on December 3 that year. Under the plan and division of roles, Wong’s team would focus on luring police to Hennessy Road during a protest, while Ng’s squad would shoot at the officers and detonate the bombs.
Wong said he had since begun to prepare the stock of gear, including masks, shields, and bulletproof vests, which would only be used once.
“As I planned to leave Hong Kong right after the protest [on December 8], this gear would not be needed for the future,” he said.
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Wong added that he held another meeting with his team on December 5 to discuss how they would draw out police before Ng’s squad opened fire.
He also forwarded a message from a supporter to his team members, which said even though they were determined to leave the city, their contribution to the social movement would be remembered.
Both Wong and Ng had earlier pleaded guilty to a joint count of conspiracy, under the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance, to plant the two bombs.
Wong’s alleged former teammates – Yim Man-him, Cheung Chun-fu, Cheung Ming-yu and Christian Lee Ka-tin – were standing trial among six men who earlier pleaded not guilty to the same charge.
The hearing will continue on Friday.
