Legislator William Wong has resigned as the lawmaker behind him arrest Monday for suspected drunken driving the incident.
His resignation was announced on Friday STATEMENT by Legislative Council (LegCo) President Starry Lee, who said she respected Wong’s decision and thanked him for his service.
Wong said local media on Friday that he had resigned from the LegCo “only for patriots” effective immediately and that he was sorry for bringing “trouble” to society.
He said that he has decided to resign in order not to affect the work of LegCo.
Wong’s resignation came after the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), where he was an associate dean of the engineering faculty, said earlier on Friday that had suspended Wong.
It is the first time during this legislative mandate that a lawmaker resigns.
Four criminal offences
The 66-year-old was caught on Monday evening after allegedly hitting two cars parked outside a residence hall on the CUHK campus.
Wong fled the scene after the crash, police said, but later returned.
He was arrested on suspicion of four offences, including driving while intoxicated, careless driving, failure to stop after a traffic accident and failure to report a traffic accident.
Wong did not respond to a HKFP request for comment earlier this week. it said Online media Kinliu said on Thursday that he felt things were “chaotic” and that he had “reflected” on his mistakes.
Local media reported that in 2015, a man with the same Chinese and English name as Wong was convicted of drunk driving. Wong declined to comment when asked if he had committed the offense in 2015. according to for local media reports.
Drunk driving in Hong Kong is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of HK$25,000.
