"In its decision, the appeals court wrote that prosecutors had not proven the mens' guilt. Further, judges ruled that Apple Daily had no duty to report the breach, nor could responsibility for the breach be attributed to Lai personally as a matter of law. The court said the accusation that two 'were liable for the concealment as the prosecution contended is unsupportable.'"
"The court also found that prosecutors had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendants had made false representations, throwing out both convictions and sentences. Hong Kong's Beijing-aligned government said the Department of Justice would study the judgment thoroughly and consider whether or not to appeal."
Hong Kong's appeals court overturned fraud convictions against Jimmy Lai, a democracy advocate and former media tycoon, determining that prosecutors failed to prove he and a business partner breached a commercial rental contract. The case involved Lai's Apple Daily newspaper allegedly allowing his consulting firm to use office space designated exclusively for publishing. The court ruled that Apple Daily had no duty to report the breach and that responsibility could not be attributed to Lai personally. Judges found prosecutors failed to prove false representations beyond reasonable doubt. Despite this legal victory, Lai remains imprisoned serving a 20-year sentence on national security charges, including conspiracy to collaborate with foreign forces and publishing seditious materials, which he denies.
Read at www.dw.com
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