Man accused in body-in-cement murder complained of ‘unfair’ treatment in Taiwan, court hears

Keith Lau, accused in murder of Cheung Man-li, told Hong Kong police he had a bad feeling after being separated from his co-defendants after arrest

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Keith Lau (centre) is escorted to court from the Lai Chi Kok Detention Centre. Photo: Edward Wong

Published: 8:57pm, 27 Apr 2018Updated: 11:18pm, 27 Apr 2018

One of the three Hong Kong flatmates accused of murdering an acquaintance and concealing his body in a concrete coffin said it was “unfair” that he was separated from the other two after they were arrested in Taiwan, the High Court heard on Friday.

In a recorded interview with Hong Kong police, Keith Lau, 23, said Taiwanese immigration officers isolated him from Tsang Cheung-yan, 28, and Cheung Sin-hang, 26, after they were detained in Taiwan and waited to be returned to Hong Kong for a murder charge.

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“They were with each other for more than 24 hours … Not sure what they had done,” Lau

said on the recording. “So unfair.”

Murder suspect Cheung Sin-hang. Photo: Edward Wong

The men fled to Taiwan on March 11, seven days after they allegedly murdered Cheung Man-li, 28, also known as Ah J, at the flat the three shared in Tsuen Wan on March 4, 2016. Lau, Tsang and Cheung have pleaded not guilty to murder, but they have pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful burial of Cheung’s body.