Hong Kong’s Department of Justice has withdrawn charges against Cantopop singer Anthony Wong and former pro-democracy lawmaker Au Nok-hin. The move comes three days after they were arrested by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for allegedly breaching electoral law.
The department agreed for the pair to be bound over for 24 months to the sum of HK$2,000 at the Eastern Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
Earlier this week, the duo were charged with “corrupt conduct” by providing entertainment to induce the public to vote for a candidate, after Wong performed at an election rally for Au in 2018.
“Hongkongers keep singing, Hongkongers keep going,” Wong told reporters outside of the courtroom.
A bind-over order is an agreement between the court and the defendant to maintain good behaviour for a certain period. It is neither a punishment nor a criminal conviction.
Au is currently serving a ten-month sentence on unauthorised assembly charges relating to the 2019 pro-democracy protests. He is also facing national security law charges along with 46 other democrats for his involvement in the democratic primary elections last July.
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