The Court of First Instance (TJB) yesterday acquitted high-profile non-establishment activist Jason Chao Teng Heng of aggravated defamation of Wang Jianwei, ex-director of the University of Macau’s Department of Government and Public Administration, as evidence presenting during the trial was not strong enough to show that the defendant was guilty.
Wang is still a professor with the department.
The one-day trial for the case was conducted on July 24.
Chao was absent for both the July trial and yesterday’s rulingannouncement. Chao, 31, is reported to be in the UK where he is said to be enrolled in a master’s degree course. He is a former president of the grassroots New Macau Association (NMA). He also once ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the legislature.
Wang filed a complaint claiming that in 2015 Macau Concealers, a Chinese-language online publication, then headed by Chao, implicitly accused him of having sexually harassed a number students.
Macau Concealers claimed that a UM department director surnamed Wang was the subject of three sexual harassment complaints by students of the public university.
According to the July trial, Macau Concealers identified Wang by his surname, citing another local newspaper, but initially referred to him as an unmarried department director of the university from the mainland. It also published a photo of Wang.
The publication published three articles about Wang, only the third of which identified Wang by his surname and a file photo.
During the July trial, Wang insisted that the three sexual harassment complaints were untrue. Wang insisted that he had never been subject to disciplinary proceedings by the university.
During the July trial, Wang said that while the three articles published by Macau Concealers did not give his full name, the three articles implicitly indicated that he was the subject of the three sexual harassment complaints.
Wang demanded a public apology, and compensation of 50,000 patacas for the damage to his reputation.
Wang Jianwei, who accused activist Jason Chao Teng Hei of aggravated defamation, leaves the Court of First Instance (TJB) in Nam Van after yesterday’s announcement of the ruling. Courtesy: TDM
