Hong Kong Court Overturns Conviction of Businessman Jimmy Lai

Hong Kong Appellate Court Overturns Fraud Conviction Against Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai

A Hong Kong appellate court has allowed appeals from two defendants in a fraud case, including pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who was recently convicted and jailed for 20 years on national security charges. The ruling, made by the Court of First Instance on Thursday, quashed the convictions and set aside the sentences.

Lai, 78, had been sentenced to five years and nine months in prison in 2022 on two fraud charges related to a consultancy firm operated by him for personal use. The firm allegedly breached its lease agreement with Apple Daily, Lai’s now-defunct media business, without disclosing the breach. Former Apple Daily executive Wong Wai-keung was also jailed for 21 months.

The Court of Appeal judges ruled that while Apple Daily Printing had breached the lease terms, it did not owe a duty to disclose its breach. They stated that even if it had owed and breached that duty, the same could not be attributed to Lai and Wong as a matter of law. The trial judges’ reasoning was deemed unsupportable by the appellate court.

The overturning of Lai’s conviction reduces his total prison time. His national security case allowed for concurrent sentencing, with two years of the sentence to be served concurrently with the fraud sentence, followed by an additional 18 years.

Lai’s children have expressed hopes that a visit by US President Donald Trump to Beijing could help secure their father’s release from prison. The White House has confirmed Trump’s travel plans, which include meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping on March 31 through April 2. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has called for Lai’s release on humanitarian grounds, citing his sentencing for exercising freedom of expression.

Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have defended Lai’s national security case sentence, stating it reflects the spirit of the rule of law and is necessary for the city’s stability. A separate court sentenced a father to eight months in prison under the national security law for attempting to withdraw funds belonging to an “absconder”.

Source: Al Jazeera