A week after apologising for his role in the celebrity sex-photos scandal, Edison Chen Koon-hei left Hong Kong yesterday as police ended their inquiries with him.
A statement from his lawyer said Chen wished to inform members of the media that he had given full and helpful co-operation to the police in the past few days since returning to the city to explain his role in the controversy.
"The Hong Kong police have informed Mr Chen, through his legal counsel, that the request from the police for Mr Chen's assistance has concluded ... and that no further assistance is required of him in the immediate future," the statement added.
There had been media speculation that Chen would face a criminal investigation for his role in the scandal, and suggestions that the case involved more than pictures being stolen from his computer.
Last night, police said they had obtained the information they needed at this stage. "Police need time to follow up the information. The case is still being investigated," a police spokesman said.
Chen's management company confirmed he had left Hong Kong but declined to reveal his whereabouts.
The beleaguered star returned from the United States last Thursday, weeks after the scandal broke. He admitted he had taken the pictures of female celebrities engaging in sex acts with him that had been circulated on the internet around the world.
He apologised to Hongkongers and the women involved and announced he would quit the local entertainment scene indefinitely.
He has not spoken in public since then and had been staying at the Four Seasons Hotel in Central and giving statements at police headquarters in Wan Chai, accompanied by privately hired and police bodyguards.
Lawyer and lawmaker James To Kun-sun said Chen was "cleared from the case for the moment only".
"The police state he is now a witness in the case, based on the information they have so far. It does not mean 100 per cent that he is totally free. And Chen may be required to come back to Hong Kong for more investigations or to testify in court later," Mr To said.
Two men linked to the scandal are still on bail. Kwok Chun-wai, a 24-year-old clerk, is alleged to have posted two internet hyperlinks to a website from which people could download 100 explicit photographs.
Sze Ho-chun, 23, a computer technician, is accused of dishonestly accessing a computer. The prosecution has asked for more time as police work on the case.
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