Two Hong Kong former legislators-elect found guilty of taking part in unlawful assemble in LegCo meeting

HONG KONG - Hong Kong court Friday ruled that Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching, the two disqualified legislators-elect, and their three assistants, have been found guilty of taking part in an unlawful assembly for storming Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting.

The five defendants were released on bail, with sentencing expected to take place on June 4, 2018.

In November 2016, Leung and Yau were banned from taking part in the LegCo meeting after they failed to take their oaths properly. In order to re-take their oaths, Leung and Yau tried to storm into the conference room without the permission of the Chairman of LegCo.

The pair and their assistants kept pushing against security guards who were stopping them from entering the conference room. Six security guards were injured in the chaos and taken to hospital for treatment.

At Kowloon City Magistrate Court of Hong Kong Friday, Wong Sze-Lai, the acting principal magistrate, said it was obvious the pair's action was planned, coordinated and involved excessive force.

Wang ruled that Leung, Yau and their assistants had acted together for a common purpose, and "such acts were likely to cause any person reasonably to fear that the persons so assembled would commit a breach of the peace."

So the five defendants were found guilty of taking part in an unlawful assembly.

Leung and Yau used derogatory language insulting the country and nation when taking their oaths at a swearing-in ceremony of the new LegCo on Oct 12, 2016. The pair were disqualified by Hong Kong court on Nov 15, 2016; their appeal was rejected on Nov 30, 2016.