Three construction workers have been charged with stealing jewellery worth around HK$90,000 from a flat at the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.
The three defendants – Yu Yeung-chan, 32; Cheung Pok-hoi, 32; and Wong Wai-sing, 38 – appeared at Fanling Magistrates’ Court on Monday, local media reported.
They were charged with one count of theft for allegedly stealing jewellery belonging to a woman identified as X from a flat in Wang Tai House on March 5.
According to media reports, the stolen items included a necklace with a gold-coloured pendant, four gold-coloured rings, a diamond ring in a silver colour, and a bracelet in a gold colour.
Acting Principal Magistrate Jason Wan granted the prosecution’s application to adjourn the case to July 27, pending legal advice from the Department of Justice.
The defendants did not request bail and were remanded in custody.
A conviction for theft can result in up to 10 years in jail.
The police force said on March 6 that three construction workers were arrested the previous day after seven pieces of jewellery, worth around HK$90,000, were found on the trio.
The three workers were acting suspiciously while reinforcement work was being conducted at Wang Fuk Court, police said.
“Many people lost their homes and their loved ones in the Wang Fuk Court fire. The three workers committed a crime when they entered the flat for work. What they did was despicable,” Brian Chung, an assistant commander of Tai Po district, said in Cantonese.
The Hong Kong government hired construction workers for reinforcement works at Wang Fuk Court after a fire ripped through seven of its eight residential buildings in November, killing 168 and displacing thousands of residents.
Following the arrests, the police force tightened security checks at the Tai Po estate.
It was not until April that residents of Wang Fuk Court were allowed to return to their homes to check and collect personal belongings.
As of the end of May, the police received 142 reports of lost property. Security chief Chris Tang said on May 30 that in around 30 per cent of the reports, residents could not describe the missing items in detail, making it difficult to investigate.
Tang added that while the missing items had been found in 48 cases, the authorities could not rule out theft in 16 cases.
