A Hong Kong rugby player is set to plead not guilty to molesting a customer at a bar in Central last year, with the trial scheduled for June.

Faizal Solomona Penesa, a player for the Hong Kong China Rugby team, appeared at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Monday to face one count of indecent assault at Bobby’s Rabble, a bar in Central, and another count of criminal damage after allegedly vandalising police property at a police station following his arrest.

Solomona pleaded guilty to the criminal damage offence, in which he allegedly damaged a door latch at Central Police Station on September 28, 2025, according to local media.

According to the facts agreed by the prosecution and the defence, he was emotional when he was detained and kicked the door latch. Police filmed the incident and arrested him on suspicion of criminal damage.

But he denied the charge of indecent assault, which allegedly occurred at the Central bar on September 28 last year. The court heard that Solomona did not know the complainant, who was another customer in the bar, and that they had arrived there separately.

When he was arrested on the second charge, Solomona told officers under police caution that he “didn’t really mean to do that” and “won’t do that next time.”

Citing a prosecution summary, local media reported that Solomona and the complainant had been drinking with their own groups at adjacent high tables.

Solomona, who is out on bail, will appear in court next on June 26 for trial. The prosecution said it planned on summoning three witnesses, including the complainant. She is known as X, and her identity will not be revealed during the hearing.

The defence said it would call one to three witnesses.

In a statement published in January, Hong Kong China Rugby said it took the allegations against Solomona “very seriously.”

Solomona has been suspended from all rugby activities until there is an outcome for the legal proceedings, it said.