The Department of Justice has appealed against the granting of bail by the High Court in the case of One Media Hong Kong founder Lai Chi-ying, who was charged with violating the “Hong Kong version of the National Security Law“. The Court of Final Appeal (CFA) dealt with the application for leave to appeal on Thursday (Dec. 31). After hearing arguments from lawyers on both sides, the Court of Final Appeal ruled on Thursday afternoon that the Department of Justice’s application for partial leave to appeal was granted and a temporary detention order was issued, resulting in Lai Chi-ying’s immediate transfer to prison. The appeal will be heard in the Court of Final Appeal on February 1, 2021.
The Court of Final Appeal held that the High Court may have erred in applying section 42 of the Hong Kong National Security Law, which is of great and wide importance to bail applications involving the National Security Law, in processing the relevant bail applications.
Lai, 73, was charged with fraud and “colluding with a foreign state or power to endanger national security” within the meaning of the Hong Kong National Security Law. He was granted bail earlier on the condition that he be released on HK$10 million bail, with three people providing a total of HK$300,000 in personnel guarantees, not to leave Hong Kong, to surrender all passports, to report to the police three times a week, and not to leave his residence except to report to the police station and attend court hearings.
Lai is also required to promise not to meet with any government officials, either directly or indirectly, not to accept any form of interview, not to post, message or comment on social media, and not to publish articles through paper or the Internet.
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