Four men have officially been charged with attempting to wound with intent and possession of offensive weapons in connection with a shooting in Hong Kong’s Central district last week between two rival gangs.
The case against four defendants, aged 23 to 42, was heard at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts for the first time on Monday morning, after the police laid holding charges against them over the weekend.
Kwok Tin-wik, 24, Suman Gurung, 23 and Shahid Javed, 42 and Muhammad Gulfam, 36 were arrested early last Friday morning for their alleged involvement in a shooting near the city’s nightlife hub Lan Kwai Fong.
Merchant Javed and his three unemployed co-defendants stand accused of attempting to unlawfully and maliciously wound others in a private car outside 34 Wyndham Street last Friday, with an intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
They each also faced a charge of possessing offensive weapons, with the police accusing them of having eight machetes and one knife with an intent to use such weapons for unlawful purposes.
Last Friday, police said the incident was a “retaliation” between two triad groups which had clashed over “illegal activities” including illegal gambling and the transaction of trafficked dangerous drugs. The Force launched a manhunt for other suspects who were still at large, while the suspected firearm – a 9-millimetre semi-automatic pistol – has yet to be found.
The fourth defendant Gulfam was hospitalised and was not present at Monday’s hearing. His case was postponed to Friday. Gurung and Javed both applied for bail pending trial, but the court rejected their application. They will appear in court again on Friday for a review of their bail status.
Kwok, Gurung and Javed were remanded into custody until the next mention of the case scheduled for September 5.
