US EditionHong Kong Court Overturns Jimmy Lai's Fraud Conviction
Hong Kong's Court of Appeal found prosecutors failed to prove fraud beyond reasonable doubt, quashing Jimmy Lai's 2022 conviction and a co-defendant's sentence.
- Thursday's ruling by the SAR appellate court overturned the 2022 fraud conviction against Jimmy Lai, and the court set aside the related sentences.
- The 2022 trial accused Lai of using Dico Consultants Ltd to occupy office space leased for publishing, leading to his conviction, which was later overturned.
- High Court Chief Judge Jeremy Poon, Anthea Pang and Derek Pang wrote that prosecutors had not met the burden of proof and the trial judge overlooked key issues.
- The quash only modestly alters Lai's overall prison calculation because he remains jailed on the 20-year national security sentence imposed this month with limited concurrent overlap.
- Rights groups and Lai's family expressed concern, while Hong Kong's Department of Justice said they will study the judgment and consider an appeal, amid hopes linked to the March 31, 2026 China visit.
91 Articles
91 Articles
Fraud conviction overturned for Hong Kong's Jimmy Lai, ex-media mogul and democracy activist
A Hong Kong appellate court on Thursday quashed onetime media magnate Jimmy Lai's fraud convictions linked to lease violations, in a rare victory in the prominent activist's legal battles.
Jimmy Lai wins appeal in fraud conviction, prison sentence overturned
The founder of Next Digital Jimmy Lai Chee-ying won an appeal over a fraud case involving illegal use of land for 22 years, with his conviction and sentence quashed. The Department of Justice will study the ruling thoroughly in order to consider lodging an appeal.
The 78-year-old former businessman won his appeal against a conviction for fraud on Thursday, 26 February, before the Hong Kong High Court. He was convicted at first instance in 2022 in a lease dispute. On 10 February, a court sentenced him to 20 years in prison in another case, for collusion with the foreigner and seditious publication. - Hong Kong: pro-democrat Jimmy Lai won a surprise victory in his trial for fraud (International).
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