Acting Chief Inspector of Police Wong Chi-sing recounted in court on Monday the critical moments of an incident in which Chief Executive Donald Tsang suffered minor injuries during a protest on March 1.

Wong's remarks came during the opening testimony at the trial of two members of the League of Social Democrats, who were charged in connection with the incident.

Wong Chun-kit, 25, and Wong Ho-ming, 22, were accused of behaving in a disorderly manner in a public area.

Both men have pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution alleged there was a chaotic situation during the protest at the Hong Kong Museum of History where Tsang was to attend the opening ceremony of an exhibition.

The police inspector, Wong, was protecting Tsang's right side that afternoon.

As soon as the chief executive stepped out from his car onto the plaza outside the Hong Kong Science Museum, which has internal access to the history museum, Wong said he noticed several young protesters at a distance of about 10 meters, walking quickly in their direction.

One of the defendants, Wong Ho-ming, carried a lunch box in his hand.

The inspector said he was immediately on alert, intent on preventing the protesters from getting too close to Tsang.

As officials stepped into the museum, another defendant, Wong Chun-kit, abruptly rushed from the inspector's left, coming very near to Tsang.

"It was less than one person's distance," the inspector testified.

He immediately stepped in front of Tsang in an effort to protect him, but it was too late.

He recalled Tsang shouted, with his right hand pressing to the left side of his left chest. Tsang pointed at Wong Chun-kit with left hand, and said: "This gentleman."

The young man was arrested on the spot.

Prosecutors played a video of the incident in the court. The critical two seconds were resolved into 48 frames, to help sort out every detail.

Another witness, Yuen Woon-keung, a policeman who transported Wong Chun-kit to the Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station, said the young man stated to him during the preliminary investigation that he struck Tsang on the shoulder "by accident, and not deliberately" because of the rushing crowd.

The young man could not recall which shoulder he hit. He claimed he came voluntarily, alone, just to protest, after he saw Tsang's schedule posted on Facebook the night before.

A staff member of the history museum, Fung Wai-yip, and a district head of the security company at the museum were also called to testify.

guojiaxue@chinadailyhk.com

China Daily

(HK Edition 07/19/2011 page1)