The younger sister of Hong Kong veteran unionist Elizabeth Tang Yin-ngor has been jailed for six months for removing potential evidence in a national security police investigation into her elder sibling.
Marilyn Tang Yin-lee, 63, was escorted back to West Kowloon Court on Thursday after her bail was revoked upon pleading guilty to perverting the course of justice earlier this month.
Magistrate Patrick Tsang Hing-tung said that while a term of immediate imprisonment was inevitable, the court had grounds to exercise leniency based on the little impact the offence had on the ongoing police inquiry and the defendant’s low risk of reoffending.
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Hong Kong activist’s sister remanded over removal of digital devices from flat
Tsang added the court was certain that the offence was a one-off, and highlighted the younger Tang’s genuine remorse, clear criminal record and past contribution to social services.
He shaved three months off from a starting point of nine months’ imprisonment in recognition of her timely guilty plea.
Marilyn earlier admitted taking away the digital devices of her sister before police combed the latter’s Lai Chi Kok flat where she lived with her husband, jailed opposition politician and labour rights activist Lee Cheuk-yan.
Elizabeth, 65, was arrested earlier this year on suspicion of collusion with foreign forces under the national security law for allegedly accepting more than HK$100 million (US$12.7 million) in donations from Western groups since 1994 in support of labour movements in Asia.
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The labour rights activist was detained after visiting 66-year-old Lee at the maximum-security Stanley Prison on March 9. Lee was denied bail ahead of a subversion trial in the High Court.
Marilyn went to the couple’s residence in the Mei Foo Sun Chuen housing estate shortly after her sister’s legal adviser told her about the police probe. She had spent 110 minutes in the flat in back-to-back visits on the same day before the police search, the court was told.
Sister of ex-union leader, brother of Hong Kong opposition veteran released on bail
Police arrested her two days later and found that she had a Samsung laptop and iPhone 6 belonging to her elder sister.
The prosecution confirmed Marilyn’s transgression had no real impact on the police investigation, as Elizabeth’s computer and phone only contained pictures of her family and letters she had written to her husband.
Perverting the course of justice is punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment when it is the only offence tried in the magistrates’ court.
More from South China Morning Post:
- Sister of arrested Hong Kong labour rights activist Elizabeth Tang remanded in custody after admitting to removing laptop, iPhone from latter’s flat
- Sister of ex-union leader Elizabeth Tang and brother of Hong Kong opposition veteran Albert Ho released on bail
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