Hong Kong Court Acquits Police Officer of Indecent Assault After Rejecting Accuser's Testimony

A Hong Kong court has acquitted a police officer of indecent assault, ruling that the accuser's testimony was unreliable. Officer Ng Ka‑wai, 41, had pleaded not guilty to the charges, which stemmed from an alleged incident at Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station on December 20 last year.

The informant had visited the station to report being blackmailed and defrauded of HK$1.6 million. Officer Ng was assigned to assist her in giving a statement. The prosecution claimed that Ng touched the informant's thigh three times and opened a nude photo on her phone without her consent, despite her using WhatsApp's "View Once" feature for the image.

However, Magistrate Arthur Lam found the informant's account inconsistent. He noted discrepancies between her oral testimony and her written statements, particularly regarding when she realized the nude photo had been accessed. The magistrate described her explanations as unconvincing and stated the court could not accept her testimony.

Consequently, Ng was found not guilty of the indecent assault charge. The court awarded him legal costs. A conviction for indecent assault in Hong Kong can carry a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment.