2 Hongkongers remanded in custody over manslaughter case of mainland Chinese student whose body was found in Fanling village
- Security guard and jobless man appeared at Fanling Court over the suspected killing of 22-year-old Xu Wenjun, who was studying for a master’s degree in city.
- Third suspect, 20-year-old student, has been charged with preventing the lawful burial of a body.
Two middle-aged Hongkongers have been remanded in custody pending a police investigation into the death of a mainland Chinese student, whose body was discovered in a local village on the weekend.
Security guard Kwan Wing-yin, 51, and jobless Cheng See-chung, 62, were among three men escorted to Fanling Court on Thursday morning over the suspected killing of 22-year-old Xu Wenjun, who was studying for a master’s degree in the city.
A charge sheet available for press inspection alleged the pair had unlawfully killed Xu at a house in Fanling Wai village in the northern New Territories on December 23.
Kwan and Cheng have also been charged with preventing the lawful burial of Xu’s body on the same day with the help of two unidentified men, who are still at large.
Third suspect 20-year-old Cheng Ka-fu, who the prosecution said was a student of LiPACE, a community education arm of Hong Kong Metropolitan University, is also facing the same charge.
Kwan is also facing a third charge of trafficking in a dangerous drug.
Acting principal magistrate Andy Cheng Lim-chi adjourned the case for 12 weeks to allow police to gather evidence, review relevant CCTV footage and locate the two unidentified men.
The two manslaughter suspects did not ask for bail, while the student’s application was dismissed at the prosecution’s request.
The trio will remain in the prison service’s custody until the next hearing in March 2024. They can apply for bail before a High Court judge.
Separately, police on Wednesday evening arrested a 25-year-old man at West Kowloon station on suspicion of being one of the two unknown men who aided in the unlawful disposal of Xu’s body. The suspect remains in detention for questioning.