Lam Cheuk-ting (center) and Hui Chi-fung (left) leave the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, Aug 27, 2020. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Opposition lawmakers Lam Cheuk-ting and Ted Hui Chi-fung appeared in court on Thursday for their alleged roles in two separate illegal protests in July last year.

The Democratic Party duo were among a group of 10 people who appeared in court in two cases, both heard by Principal Magistrate Peter Law Tak-chuen 

The Democratic Party duo were among a group of 10 people who appeared in court in two cases, both heard by Principal Magistrate Peter Law Tak-chuen. The ten were later granted bail on condition that they surrender their passports and report weekly to a local police station.

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Lam and six others were charged with rioting, after being arrested on Wednesday for their alleged participation in an incident at Yuen Long MTR Station on the night of July 21, 2019 when a group of white-clad men with steel rods and rattan canes attacked people. 

The six include a customer service worker, a social worker, a cook, an electrician, and unemployed. 

The case at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts has been adjourned to October 12 for further investigation after the prosecution told the court that another 20 suspects remained at large. 

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Although Lam was the person who called the police to the scene of the July 21 clash, Commissioner of Police Tang Ping-keung said on Thursday that officers had laid charges against an accused person based on “facts and evidence”. 

An informant still needs to be held legally liable when he breaks the law, Tang said. “Or else, every lawbreaker will simply call the police so he could escape from justice.”  

The police chief also condemned some people in the city for deliberately smearing the police for allegedly colluding with triads during the assault. 

“By undermining our law enforcement ability, these people wanted to help the criminals who endangered national security to evade justice,” he said.

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Lam, Hui, and two other people, also appeared in the same court for snatching a man’s phone after accusing him of taking pictures of protesters during an illegal protest outside Tuen Mun police station on July 6, 2019. 

Lam faces one count of perverting the course of justice. Hui was charged with perverting the course of justice, criminal damage and accessing a computer with dishonest intent.

The four were also granted bail and the case was adjourned to November 6.