Man charged by ICAC sentenced for inciting others not to vote at LegCo Election by reposting online post
2026-7-24
A man charged by the ICAC was today (July 24) sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts after admitting that he reposted an online post on his social media page which incited others not to vote at the 2025 Legislative Council General Election (LegCo Election) during the election period.
Wong Kin-kwok, 56, air-conditioning engineer, today pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in illegal conduct to incite another person not to vote by activity in public during election period, contrary to section 27A(1)(a) of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance (ECICO).
In sentencing, Magistrate Ms Shirley Cornelia Hung remarked that the Government had spent substantial resources organising the LegCo Election and no one was allowed to interfere with this important public election in Hong Kong. The Magistrate noted that a custodial sentence was inevitable given the serious nature of the offence involved in the present case. However, a suspended sentence was imposed on the defendant after considering his guilty plea and the fact that his act of reposting was isolated.
The court heard that nominations for the 2025 LegCo Election opened on October 24 last year. According to the ECICO, the period between that date and the polling day (December 7, 2025) was the “election period” for the election.
The defendant admitted that during the election period of the 2025 LegCo Election, he reposted a post on his social media page that incited another person not to vote at the election. The post reposted by the defendant was published by Keung Ka-wai. A warrant for Keung’s arrest, who has since left Hong Kong, was issued by a Magistrate upon the ICAC’s application.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Francis Tsang.
Wong Kin-kwok, 56, air-conditioning engineer, today pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in illegal conduct to incite another person not to vote by activity in public during election period, contrary to section 27A(1)(a) of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance (ECICO).
In sentencing, Magistrate Ms Shirley Cornelia Hung remarked that the Government had spent substantial resources organising the LegCo Election and no one was allowed to interfere with this important public election in Hong Kong. The Magistrate noted that a custodial sentence was inevitable given the serious nature of the offence involved in the present case. However, a suspended sentence was imposed on the defendant after considering his guilty plea and the fact that his act of reposting was isolated.
The court heard that nominations for the 2025 LegCo Election opened on October 24 last year. According to the ECICO, the period between that date and the polling day (December 7, 2025) was the “election period” for the election.
The defendant admitted that during the election period of the 2025 LegCo Election, he reposted a post on his social media page that incited another person not to vote at the election. The post reposted by the defendant was published by Keung Ka-wai. A warrant for Keung’s arrest, who has since left Hong Kong, was issued by a Magistrate upon the ICAC’s application.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Francis Tsang.