Hong Kong court acquits police officer of indecent assault charge after accuser’s testimony rejected

A Hong Kong court has found a police officer not guilty of indecent assault after rejecting the testimony of his accuser.

Hong Kong Police Force. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Officer Ng Ka‑wai pleaded not guilty when he appeared at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts on Friday.

According to the case details, the 41-year-old allegedly touched the thigh of a female informant and opened a nude photo of her without her consent inside Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station on December 20 last year.

The informant was in the station to report being blackmailed with nude photos and defrauded of HK$1.6 million. Police then arranged for Ng to assist the informant in giving a statement.

According to the prosecution, the informant told Ng that a fraudster had sent her nude photos of herself using the “View Once” feature on WhatsApp to blackmail her. She then handed her phone to Ng, who she alleged opened one of the photos without her permission.

She also alleged that Ng asked her to stand with him to check online bank statements, and then touched her thigh three times.

Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts. Photo: Candice Chau/HKFP.

However, Magistrate Arthur Lam said on Friday that what the woman told the court was not consistent with her written statements.

For example, the woman told the court that she only realised a suspected “View Once” nude photo had been opened after getting her phone back from the defendant. But during cross-examination, the defence cited her written statement, in which she said that the defendant showed her the nude photos on her mobile and commented on them while viewing them.

Lam called the informant’s explanations unconvincing, and the court therefore did not accept her testimony. He ruled that Ng was not guilty of the charge and awarded him legal costs.

A conviction for indecent assault in Hong Kong carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.