A veteran pro-democracy lawmaker was yesterday charged by Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) over a payment from one of the territory’s best-known anti-China media tycoons, in a case he described as a political move.
Leung Kwok-hung (梁國雄) — known locally as “Long Hair’ — is a prominent activist from the League of Social Democrats. He was arrested and charged with one count of misconduct in public office by the ICAC.
He is accused of receiving HK$250,000 (US$32,229) “in relation to his public office” from the founder of Apple Daily newspaper Jimmy Lai (黎智英).
Photo: Reuters
The paper is highly critical of Beijing.
Leung told reporters his arrest had “political meaning” just months before the territory holds parliamentary elections.
With his trademark ponytail and Che Guevara T-shirts, Leung has been a defiant figure in Hong Kong’s legislature since winning a seat in 2004.
“Everyone in Hong Kong will understand what it means,” he said of his arrest. “I am a very well-known opposition [figure] of Hong Kong, there might be some kind of political meaning.”
“It will create a lot of political effect just before the next election,” he added.
When asked if he denied the charge, Leung said: “I’ll do it in court formally.”
Leung has not revealed whether he is likely to stand in the September parliamentary vote.
Lai’s spokesman Mark Simon said they had no comment.
A government statement yesterday said Leung, 60, was charged with “wilfully and intentionally,” carrying out misconduct by failing to declare the acceptance of HK$250,000 from Lai between May 2012 and this month.
“The case arose from a corruption complaint,” the statement said.
Leung is on bail and is to appear at a magistrates court today.
His activism has already landed him in jail several times.
In 2014, he spent four weeks behind bars for criminal damage and disorderly behavior during a political protest, and in 2002, he was jailed for two weeks after protesting inside the legislative council chambers before he became a lawmaker.
A parliamentary committee late last year decided that Leung and another lawmaker did not breach political donation rules after they received payments from Lai in a separate case.
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