Ex-lawmaker William Wong charged with drink driving, released on HK$5,000 bail

Ex-lawmaker William Wong has been charged with drink driving and failing to stop after a traffic accident, two months after the incident prompted his resignation from the Legislative Council. Ex-lawmaker William Wong. Photo: William Wong, via Facebook. The 66-year-old lawmaker appeared at the Shatin Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning for the first mention of the case. Wong was charged with driving with alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit; dangerous driving; failing to stop after an accident; and failing to report an accident involving damage. The charges all relate to an incident at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) on June 29. Wong, who was also an associate dean at the university’s engineering faculty, allegedly hit two parked cars outside a residential hall at CUHK on that night, police said. Wong left the scene after the accident but later returned for an investigation, during which he failed a breathalyser test. Days after, he stepped down as a lawmaker and apologised for bringing “trouble” to society. CUHK also suspended Wong from his position as the engineering faculty’s external affairs associate dean, although the university website still lists him as a professor. A sign inside Hong Kong’s Legislative Council showing the names of lawmakers, including William Wong, who resigned on July 3, 2026 following a drink driving arrest. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. According to the prosecution, Wong had a breath-alcohol level of 45 micrograms – more than double the legal limit of 22 micrograms. Wong was released on a bail of HK5,000, local media reported, and will return to court on November 11. Under his bail conditions, he is prohibited from driving, must report to a police station fortnightly, and is barred from contacting prosecution witnesses. Wong evaded reporters’ questions as he left the court building. His lawyer Paul Tse, who is also a former lawmaker, said Wong would not be responding to questions while the case is ongoing. Safeguard press freedom; keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps Make a one-off donation. Hillary Leung is a journalist at Hong Kong Free Press, where she reports on local politics and social issues, and assists with editing. Since joining in late 2021, she has covered the Covid-19 pandemic, political court cases including the 47 democrats national security trial, and challenges faced by minority communities. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hillary completed her undergraduate degree in journalism and sociology at the University of Hong Kong. She worked at TIME Magazine in 2019, where she wrote about Asia and overnight US news before turning her focus to the protests that began that summer. At Coconuts Hong Kong, she covered general news and wrote features, including about a Black Lives Matter march that drew controversy amid the local pro-democracy movement and two sisters who were born to a domestic worker and lived undocumented for 30 years in Hong Kong. More by Hillary Leung