Hong Kong press tycoon Jimmy Lai was again sentenced to prison today, this time he was given a sentence of 5 years and 9 months for fraud.
He will soon be tried for "collaborating with foreign powers"
The founder of Apple Daily, a newspaper critical of the Chinese government that was forced to close, was only recently sentenced again to 20 months in prison for his participation in protests and rallies that were not authorized by the authorities.
Lai, 75, will still soon be tried for "collaborating with foreign powers", a violation of the strict national security law adopted by Beijing, for which he could face a life sentence.
Although his previous prison sentences were linked to his role in the pro-democracy protests that rocked Hong Kong in 2019, the case for which he was convicted today involves violating the terms of his newspaper's office lease.
Fraud
Lai and Wong Wai-keung, a former Apple Daily executive, were found guilty of fraud in October in what Judge Stanley Chan described as a "planned, organised scheme that lasted for years".
Prosecutors said that a consulting firm that Lai ran for his personal use had offices that Apple Daily had leased for publishing and printing. This, according to them, constituted a violation of the terms of a lease he had signed with a government company and amounted to fraud.
On the other hand, defense attorneys argued that this case should have been tried as a civil rather than a criminal case and that the scope involved was minimal.
61-year-old Wong was sentenced to 21 months in prison.
The judge accused Apple Daily of abusing its reputation as a well-known media outlet to turn it into a "protective shield," which would prevent the landlord from taking action if the terms of the lease were violated.
Don't link it to politics
"Don't link it to politics," the judge noted, insisting the case had nothing to do with politics or press freedom.
Jimmy Lai, a leading figure in Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, has long been openly critical of Beijing.
For years, his newspaper criticized the Chinese leadership before being forced to close in mid-2021 after its funds were frozen and its executives and founder were arrested.
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