Massaging the Truth of Choi's Investigation

In February Carrie Lam awarded Choi for his service

 Today there was a lot of discussion about the disgraced senior national security officer who was caught up in a police raid at an unlicensed massage parlour. News of the incident was leaked to the media yesterday.

Senior Assistant Commissioner Frederic Choi Chin-pang has been put on leave for a month while the force investigates, though some members of the public are calling for more transparency on handling the case.

Why was Choi really caught in the raid?

"Given that he's such a senior police officer, heading the security department, I think the public would demand more transparency on the handling [of the case]," said legal scholar and former member of the Independent Police Complaints Council, Eric Cheung on RTHK.

"Many of these unlicensed establishments might have connections with triad activities... we do not know whether it may involve not just Mr Choi but other police officers, and whether there may be any allegation or involvement about corruption," he said.

Now that the pro-Beijing establishment needs to be on the defensive, it's amusing to see how they defend Choi.

Lawmaker Paul Tse Wai-chun said on an RTHK radio program that visiting an unlicensed massage parlour is not illegal, no worse than going to an unlicensed restaurant, and -- get this -- no worse than jaywalking.

Tse tried to downplay the incident on RTHK

However, callers on the show pointed out otherwise.

One man, who said he was a retired disciplined services officer, said staff have long been reminded to avoid "disreputable" places.

"A private restaurant is not a disreputable venue, but an unlicensed massage parlour definitely is. Paul Tse, you shouldn't be an apple-polisher and help disguise this incident," the man said.

Touche!

Another caller wondered what else there was to investigate, as the raid apparently happened last month.

"They always repeat they're investigating. You have investigated for a month. this is such a simple event. It's clearly an incident of a senior cop having gone to an inappropriate place. What more is there to investigate?" he asked.

Chan says police already transparent

Meanwhile Gary Chan Hak-kan of the DAB said the police had been as transparent as they could at the moment about the investigation.

"No one is above the law. And with so many eyes and the media focusing on the incident, any favouritism wouldn't be possible," he said.

Nevertheless, there are many in the public who believe someone in the force may have had a grudge against Choi and set him up so that he could be turfed out the force, or use him as an example to ensure absolute loyalty to the department.

Look no further than across the border where many Chinese officials been stripped of their positions and kicked out of the Communist Party because of their participation in sex tapes, caught canoodling with prostitutes, or engaging in extra services in massage parlours?

 

 

 

 

Is Casting a Blank Vote a Crime?

What will voter turnout be like in the upcoming Legco election?

 

Now that Hong Kong's electoral system has been overhauled to make it near impossible for pro-democracy politicians to run, let alone win, will anyone actually participate and cast a vote?

In the 2019 district council elections, almost 3 million people voted, 71 percent of registered voters -- an unprecedented turnout -- and what was the result? 17 of the 18 district councils were won by the pro-democracy camp.

Tse says calling for blank votes could be a crime

But the Hong Kong government cannot expect such a turnout again, unless people cast blank ballots.

And pro-Beijing lawmaker Paul Tse Wai-chun warns that could be a crime.

On Sunday, Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah said officials would study whether more regulation was needed to prevent people from casting blank votes.

Speaking on RTHK, Tse agreed with Cheng that it was a person's civic responsibility to cast a ballot, but said there was no law against casting blank votes.

However, Tse said, if someone were to call for such action in an organized manner, that might amount to subversion under the national security law, or other criminal offences.

Meanwhile on Commercial Radio, Hong Kong legal academic Johannes Chan Man-mun said people would be put off by more government regulation and this could lead to protest voting.

Chan says people might cast protest votes

Chan said he thought the government would look into the issue of blank votes, as there are concerns the voter turnout will dip significantly, with the pro-democracy side showing no interest in voting.

Instead he called on the government to think about why people would cast blank votes instead of worrying about the possibility.

Chairman of the Democratic Party Lo Kin-hei said casting blank votes is a way for the people to express their dissatisfaction, and that they did not like any of the candidates. He questioned whether Hongkongers' only choice was to support the government.

Perhaps this time Hong Kong really will have a silent majority?

Legco's Outrageous Circus

Paul Tse (centre) instigated the pro-establishment walkout of Legco

Today was a descent into chaos in the Legislative Council.

The High Court ruled late last night that the two Youngspiration lawmakers, Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang could retake their oaths, and Legislative Council President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen allowed them to do that too.

So everyone expected to watch how the young politicians would recite the oath this time.

However the spotlight was hijacked by the pro-Beijing side, when Paul Tse Wai-chun spoke before the meeting, suggesting lawmakers should walk out of Legco if the pair do not apologize and genuinely swear the oath.

Sixtus Leung and Yau Wai-ching must wait another week

After 11am, two other lawmakers were sworn in before pro-establishment members started walking out of the chamber, so the president had to ring the quorum bell.

Then outside the chamber, the pro-establishment formed a human wall, and Leung Kwok-hung or "Long Hair" stood in front of them in protest, hurling luncheon meat at them before there was a shouting match for 10 minutes.

Andrew Leung had to adjourn the meeting 19 minutes after it started because of the lack of quorum and Yau, Sixtus Leung and another localist have yet to be sworn in.

It's ironic to see the pro-Beijing camp stopping all proceedings and paralyzing Legco over the oath-taking, insisting the pair apologize and that they must acknowledge that Hong Kong is China.

Meanwhile the president has won big points by observers for trying to stick to the rules and give the localists -- who had opposed his run for the job -- to take the oath again, though he too is now at odds with his colleagues.

It's lonely at the top for Legco President Andrew Leung

It's all a downright mess really. Can we just get the formalities over with? The Younspiration folks have learned their lesson and promise to take the oath properly. But now they have to wait yet ANOTHER week to do that.

Meanwhile the judicial review filed last night with the High Court to look at Andrew Leung's decision to allow the Youngspiration lawmakers to retake their oaths was revealed to be lodged by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and Secretary for Security Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung.

Seems like CY doesn't mind his popularity sinking even lower...