Court to hold hearing in July on confiscating Jimmy Lai’s properties

Hong Kong authorities are proceeding with legal action to confiscate property linked to crimes committed by former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, with a hearing on the matter set to be held in three months.According to a court document seen by the South China Morning Post on Wednesday, the Secretary for Justice filed an application with the Court of First Instance to confiscate Lai’s property after he was sentenced to 20 years in jail for national security offences.A 60-minute hearing is scheduled for July 8 to handle the confiscation order before a High Court judge.The government last week said the judicial proceedings were taken in accordance with the national security law, as “any money or property gained from crimes under the national security law, including financial aid, profits, rewards and any funds or tools used or meant to be used in committing the crime, shall be confiscated”.Lai, founder of the now defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was convicted in February of two conspiracy counts of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious articles.The High Court also fined Apple Daily, Apple Daily Printing and AD Internet more than HK$3 million (US$383,800) each.The net worth of the businessman turned activist was reportedly estimated to be more than HK$1 billion before his arrest in 2020.A government spokesman earlier said the confiscation order would “cut off the funding chains” for offences endangering national security.“A forfeiture order made for the purpose of safeguarding national security can prevent persons convicted of offences endangering national security, their accomplices or agents from continuing to use their offence-related properties to engage in acts and activities endangering national security,” the spokesman said.Jimmy Lai’s net worth was reportedly estimated to be more than HK$1 billion before his arrest in 2020. Photo: AFPHong Kong law states that confiscating the properties of offenders is “not intended to additionally punish” them, but instead aims to “prevent an offender from benefiting from the offending”.Further ReadingAccording to the prosecution code, confiscation orders should not be regarded as optional additions to the conduct of a prosecution or to a sentence, but should be considered proactively in all cases based on their merits.The government described Lai as the “mastermind and driving force” behind a campaign to undermine the authority of both the central and local governments.The court found Lai “consciously” used his personal influence and the Apple Daily platform to delegitimise government institutions.Six former Apple Daily executives were jailed for up to 10 years. Two of them – Fung Wai-kong, former managing editor of the paper’s English edition, and executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung – have lodged appeals.Lai’s legal team earlier confirmed that he would not appeal against his conviction or sentence.