Wong Kam-fai arrested for suspected drunk driving | Arrested on four charges without proactively reporting: Lawmaker says punishment depends on conviction.

Election Committee subsector LegCo member Wong Kam-fai arrested for four charges including drunk driving; it is understood that LegCo President Starry Lee and other members had not received any proactive declaration from Wong regarding the incident before it was exposed. Many members say the incident is several times more serious than Chan Ka-pui's wrong-way driving. As for the punishment, it is expected to depend on the conviction.

Wong Kam-fai Arrested for Drunk Driving | Chan Ka-pui Given Written Warning for Wrong-Way Driving

LegCo has a five-level disciplinary mechanism for members' misconduct, with the lightest being a written warning issued by the chairperson of the LegCo Committee on Members' Interests. Chan Ka-pui received this level of punishment after her wrong-way driving incident earlier this year. After the incident was exposed, Chan Ka-pui repeatedly apologized and turned herself in to the police, admitting to the charge of "careless driving." She was eventually fined HK$2,000 and disqualified from driving for one month.

The second level of punishment is also enforced by the chairperson of the committee, applicable to a second minor misconduct, resulting in a written warning and an oral admonishment.

▲ Wong Kam-fai attended the National Day celebration event today as usual. (Photo from Wong Kam-fai Facebook)

Wong Kam-fai Arrested for Drunk Driving | Highest Level of Punishment Is Suspension of Duties and Deduction of Members' Remuneration and Allowances

As for the third, fourth, and fifth levels, punishment is imposed through motions, ranging from admonishment, censure, to suspension of duties and deduction of members' remuneration and allowances. Admonishment applies to a third minor misconduct, censure applies to a first serious misconduct, and if there are more than three minor misconducts, or two serious misconducts, or a very serious misconduct, the fifth level will be imposed.

Some members stated frankly that the crime Wong Kam-fai is suspected of is several times more serious than Chan Ka-pui's, and his failure to proactively report makes it "even worse." The incident being exposed on an important day (National Day celebration + 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party) will negatively impact the image of both LegCo and the pro-establishment camp. However, referring to the Chan Ka-pui incident, unless there is a higher directive, it is expected that everything will await the verdict before a decision is made.

Additionally, Article 79 of the Basic Law stipulates that if a member is convicted of a criminal offense within or outside the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and sentenced to imprisonment for one month or more, and if a two-thirds majority of LegCo members present pass a resolution to remove that member from office, the LegCo President will declare that member disqualified from being a LegCo member.

Wong Kam-fai Arrested for Drunk Driving | Members: Difficult to Say Whether All Can Go to Beijing for Study Tour This Month

All LegCo members will go to Beijing for a study tour this month. However, when asked whether all 90 members can depart together, many members said it is currently difficult to make an assessment.