A former museum employee was on trial yesterday for obstructing an officer from executing his duty by allegedly taking pictures of the special duties unit member and putting them online.

Chan Chi-wah, 43, pleaded not guilty to obstructing police constable A at the museum on November 17, 2019.

Officer A testified before magistrate Cheng Lim-chi that he arrived at the museum with a sergeant and another constable to find a place to observe the crowds gathered on Cheong Wan Road and Science Museum Road.

The constable said he was looking for a better observation spot and that Chan was showing the way.

When A found a suitable window, he received a message saying the operation had been exposed and they were asked to leave.

A said he later found that two photos of himself in the museum were circulating on WhatsApp groups.

"I recognized myself at a glance," A said.

But he agreed under cross-examination that others would not be able to recognize him and identify the location.

He also agreed that Chan did not obstruct him from doing his work, and Chan answered all his questions and showed him the way when he wanted to find another vantage point.

In a video clip played in court, people suspected to be protesters said: "Dogs have entered the museum."

The defense said protesters might have known about the operation when police entered the museum, and the exposure had nothing to do with Chan.

But A rejected the claim.

The hearing continues today.