Pepper gun defendant now a national security suspect

A university student accused of possessing a pepper ball gun has now also been charged with violating the national security law.

Lui Sai-yu, 23, was arrested at his Fanling home last September and accused of possessing the gun without a licence, as well as two illegal knives and a baton.

As the case was mentioned at West Kowloon Court on Thursday, the prosecution said the Polytechnic University student is further charged with “inciting secession”, with the alleged offence said to have taken place between June and September last year.

National security magistrate, Victor So, adjourned the case until May 4 for the prosecution to prepare papers to transfer the case to the District Court.

Lai remains on remand.

At an earlier hearing, the prosecution was told by the court to amend the charge sheet which read “one number pepper ball, two numbers pepper ball”.

The magistrate said even primary school children would not make such a mistake with plurals in English.