A Police Constable (PC) appeared in the Kowloon City Magistracy today (Wednesday) after being charged by the ICAC with perverting public justice by improperly interfering with the Police investigation of a suspected common assault case.

Leung Wing-hong, 42, who was charged on Monday (June 8), faced one count of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice, contrary to Common Law.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge. Principal Magistrate Peter Law Tak-chuen adjourned the case until August 5 this year for mention.

The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offence.

At the material time, the defendant was a PC attached to a District Investigation Team of Sham Shui Po District. He was assigned to be the investigation officer of a case of suspected common assault in which three men were arrested on November 17, 2014.

The charge alleged that on December 4, 2014, the defendant did acts which had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice by improperly interfering with the investigation of the case.

The defendant was alleged to have incited, induced and instructed one of the arrested men to retract from and conceal his version that he had been assaulted on the eye by another arrested man in the incident; and to state in his statement that he could not recall how he came to sustain injuries to his left eye.

The defendant was granted cash bail of $10,000. He was also ordered not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.

The Police had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Kenneth Chan.