Hong Kong man arrested after money tossed on streets

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A 24-year-old man was arrested by Hong Kong police on suspicion of acting in a disorderly manner after banknotes were tossed from the top of a building, Ming Pao, a local newspaper, reported on Monday.

Hong Kong police brief the media on the money tossing case on December 16. /Screenshot

The paper said Wong Ching-kit, who has been dubbed the “coin young master,” live-streamed his stunt on Facebook on the afternoon of December 15, with a description saying that he will assist the poor by tossing money from the sky.

A video clip published by Oriental Daily shows Wong driving his Lamborghini to Sham Shui Po, a predominantly working-class area. On arrival, he steps out of his sports car and makes an announcement indicating his plan of “robbing the rich to help the poor” before the camera pans to the rooftop of a building from where lots of banknotes are thrown.

Wong Ching-kit live-streams his money tossing on a Facebook account called Epoch Cryptocurrency in Hong Kong, China, on December 15, 2018. /Screenshot

The clip shows passersby snatching the banknotes. Police deployed to the scene advised people not to do so.

Wong is believed to be connected with Epoch Cryptocurrency as he live-streamed “the event” via a Facebook page with the same name.

Locals grab the banknotes drifting down from atop the building in Hong Kong, China, on December 15, 2018. /Photo via the Oriental Daily

Ming Pao cited Albert Luk, a counsel with Hong Kong Bar Association, as saying that people are liable for misbehavior whether tossing money from atop a building or distributing money on the streets, like red envelopes at Spring Festival, only if they are deemed to have disturbed public order. Failure to arrange security can be a contributing factor.

They are liable to be fined 5,000 Hong Kong dollars (640 U.S. dollars) and detained for 12 months if found guilty, he said.

Luk added that Wong was thought to be involved even though he did not distribute the banknotes in person.

The case remains under investigation, according to a Facebook post published by Hong Kong police who said they had confiscated 60 100-dollar banknotes as of Sunday.

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