HONG KONG (AP) – Hong Kong’s highest court on Thursday overturned media mogul Jimmy Lai’s bail after prosecutors managed to ask judges to return him to custody.
Lai had been released on December 23 after three weeks of detention on charges of fraud and endangering national security. His appeal hearing is scheduled for Feb. 1.
The court said Thursday that it was “reasonably debatable” that the previous judge’s decision was wrong and that the bail order was invalid.
Lai is among a number of pro-democracy activists and sympathizers arrested by Hong Kong police in recent months as authorities step up their crackdown on dissent in semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
On December 3, he was charged with fraud for allegedly violating the lease terms of the office of the digital company Digital Next, which he founded. He was later re-indicted on December 12 by the forceful national security law imposed by Beijing on suspicion of collaborating with foreign forces and endangering national security.
Lai entered the final appellate court without comment to supporters and the media, many of whom grabbed the tycoon as he headed to the courtroom. His bail conditions included surrendering his travel documents and a ban on meeting with foreign officials, posting articles in any media, posting on social media, and conducting interviews.
The Chinese state-run People’s Daily on Sunday published a lengthy comment criticizing the court for bailing Lai, claiming that it “seriously injured Hong Kong’s rule of law.”
The People’s Daily said it would not be difficult for Lai to flee and called him “notorious and extremely dangerous”. He also warned that China could take over the case, according to Article 55 of the National Security Law which states that China may “exercise jurisdiction over a case relating to a crime that endangers national security.” .
The Hong Kong judiciary on Tuesday posted a 19-page sentence on its website, setting out the reasons why High Court Judge Alex Lee had granted bail to Lai. Lee said he was pleased there was no risk of theft in Lai’s case, noting that Lai was willing to control his movements if it had been a feasible option.
On Tuesday, Lai resigned as president and CEO of Next Digital, which runs the Apple Daily, according to a document filed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. He did so “to devote more time to dealing with these personal matters” and confirmed that he had no disagreement with the board, according to the documentation.