Mo longs to be with aging husband, Wong says resistance role was minor
Top News | 11 Jul 2024
Eunice Lam
Former pro-establishment lawmaker Abraham Shek Lai-him has written a mitigation letter for former colleague Claudia Mo Man-ching, who was convicted of conspiracy to subvert state powers for her role in a primary election for the Legislative Council in July 2020.
The West Kowloon Magistrates' Court yesterday continued to process the mitigation pleas of nine of the 45 convicted defendants who represented Kowloon West, District Council (second) and functional constituencies in the 2020 primaries.
The other eight were Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit, 37; Kalvin Ho Kai-ming, 35; Frankie Fung Tat-chun, 29; Helena Wong Pik-wan, 65; Lester Shum Ngo-fai, 31; Henry Wong Pak-yu, 33; Nathan Lau Chak-fung, 27; and Winnie Yu Wai-ming, 37.
Judge Jonathan Chan Chung-hang also read a mitigation letter written by the 67-year-old Mo.
Mo said she privately opposed the "mutual destruction" plan, which aimed to destroy the operations of Legco, paralyze the administration and subvert state powers.
But she admitted her "active participation" in the conspiracy after winning the primary election and submitting her application form in late July 2020 to run for the Legco poll.
Mo also said she hopes to spend more time with her husband, journalist Philip Bowring, who is in his 80s, after her release.
Shek and the charity Hong Kong Unison wrote mitigation letters for Mo, citing her contributions to ethnic minorities and that she communicates with people regardless of their political stance.
Mo's lawyer, barrister Albert Wong Nga-bun, called for a jail term of five to six years.
But Judge Andrew Chan Hing-wai cited evidence that Benny Tai Yiu-ting had consulted Mo about the legitimacy of the mutual destruction plan, in which he said she was "acting under ignorance of the law."
Wong said Mo had held conversations on indiscriminately vetoing the administration's budget. But judge Andrew Chan doubted Mo's mention of seeking the international community's assistance.
"The request for assistance did not sit well with [Wong's] submission that there is every reason for her to believe that she would have 'broken rank,' " he said.
Helena Wong's lawyer, barrister Erik Shum Sze-man, said Wong "acted passively" in the case, as she had neither initiated any meeting nor signed the "Resolute Resistance, Inked Without Regret" declaration, and suggested to classify Wong as an "other participant."
Under the national security law, the length of the jail term varies depending on whether the convict is a principal offender, an active participant, or other participant.
The sentence for an "active participant" should range from three to 10 years, while "other participants" should not exceed over three years.
Shum said Wong claimed she would indiscriminately veto the budget during the primary election forum on June 25, 2020, after she was pressured by others from the resistance camp, and that it did not cohere with Wong's personality.
The mitigation letter of Lester Shum said he hoped he could return home soon, while Henry Wong asked to be reunited with his family. Jimmy Sham's mitigation plea is expected to be read today.
eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com
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