為香港電台製作元朗襲擊紀錄片的香港記者因搜索數據庫被正式檢控

Recently the South China Morning Post reported the following:

Hong Kong journalist who produced Yuen Long attack documentary for RTHK formally charged over database search

Brian Wong

Mon., November 9, 2020, 11:49 p.m. PST·2 min read

A freelance journalist who produced a documentary for Hong Kong’s public broadcaster about last year’s Yuen Long mob attack has been charged with making false declarations after citing “traffic and transport-related matters” as her purpose in searching car ownership details on a government database.

Bao Choy Yuk-ling appeared on Tuesday at Fanling Court, where she was charged with violating a provision in the Road Traffic Ordinance. A guilty verdict could land her behind bars for up to six months.

The prosecution alleged the 37-year-old, who co-produced an episode of the RTHK television show Hong Kong Connection about the controversial July 21 incident, knowingly made false statements to the Transport Department on May 17 and June 10.

Choy had sought access to what is officially known as a “certificate of particulars of motor vehicle”, allowing her to obtain the personal details of car owners, including their names, addresses and identity card numbers.

Applicants need to declare their purposes for seeking the information, but can only choose from one of three available options on the department’s webpage: “legal proceedings”, “sale and purchase of vehicles”, and “other traffic and transport related matters”.

Choy was said to have ticked the box indicating she would use the information for the third purpose, which the prosecution alleged was not her true intent.

Choy was not required to enter a plea at Tuesday’s hearing, as the prosecution asked the court for extra time to allow police to complete their investigation and finalise details of the allegations.

Principal Magistrate Don So Man-lung granted Choy bail of HK$1,000 until the next hearing on January 14.

Knowingly making a false statement is punishable by six months in jail and a HK$5,000 fine under the Road Traffic Ordinance.

Translation

一位為香港的公共廣播公司製作關於去年元朗暴徒襲擊的紀錄片的自由撰稿人，被指控以聲明“交通和運輸相關事項”為理, 在政府數據庫中搜索汽車所有權詳細信息，是做出了虛假聲明。

鮑蔡玉玲星期二在粉嶺法院出庭，被控違反《道路交通條例》的規定。一項有罪的判決可能使她被監禁長達六個月。

檢方指控現年37歲的她, 在聯合製作了一部香港電台電視節目《香港連線》中有關該有爭議的7月21日事件的一集，故意在5月17日和6月10日向運輸署作了虛假陳述。

蔡玉玲進入正式稱為“車輛詳細信息的證明” 網頁，以便獲得車主的個人詳細信息，包括車主姓名，其地址和身份證號碼。

申請人需要聲明其尋求信息的目的，但只能從部門網頁上的三個可用選項之一中進行選擇：“法律訴訟”，“買賣車輛”和“其他與交通有關的事項”。

據說蔡玉玲在因為在第三目的而使用該信息的方框中打了勾以作出表示，但檢控方指這並不是她的真實意圖。

由於控檢方要求法庭留出更多時間讓警方完成調查並最終確定指控的細節，因此蔡玉玲無需在周二的法庭上提出辯訴。

首席裁判官蘇文隆 (Don So Man-lung）準許蔡玉玲以$ 1,000保釋，直到1月14日下一次聆訊為止。

根據《道路交通條例》，明知而作虛假陳述將被判處六個月監禁和罰款5,000港元。

              So, it is the first time for the Hong Kong government tries to use the Road Traffic Ordinance to charge a reporter for seeking information on the personal details of car owners, including their names, addresses and identity card numbers. A sense of tighten legal control in Hong Kong can be felt easily in these days.