ICAC granted arrest warrants over boycott calls

The ICAC said on Saturday that magistrates had issued arrest warrants for former lawmaker Nathan Law, former student leader Sunny Cheung and former district councillors Nigel Lee, Timothy Lee and Carmen Lau.

The anti-graft commission said the five were accused of inciting others not to vote in Sunday’s Legco poll through postings on social media, engaging in an online discussion or making an online speech during the election period.

It said it had applied for the warrants as the five had already left Hong Kong.

The ICAC said it had so far arrested 10 people on suspicion of violating the new election rule banning people from inciting others not to vote or to cast invalid votes by activity in public. Two of them have been charged.

The ICAC reiterated its warning that calling on others to boycott Sunday’s Legco poll in public could be illegal and that it will take “resolute enforcement actions to combat conduct manipulating or undermining the election.”