Court | The government seizes assets related to Jimmy Lai's crimes to cut off the funding chain threatening national security

SighingCashier · 2026-04-02T09:23:00+00:00

Founder of Next Media, Jimmy Lai, was recently convicted of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and other crimes, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Today, the SAR government applied to the court for the confiscation of assets related to Jimmy Lai's crimes, in order to achieve the important goal of preventing and stopping activities that endanger national security.Confiscation orders effectively combat serious crimes and protect public interestsA government spokesperson stated that the SAR is a rule-of-law society that upholds the principle of lawfulness and accountability. Among them, applying for confiscation orders from the court is an effective way to combat serious crimes and protect public interests. Laws and mechanisms for confiscating assets related to crimes are also common worldwide.The spokesperson said that confiscation orders made to safeguard national security can prevent offenders, their accomplices, or their agents from using assets related to their crimes to continue engaging in activities that threaten national security.

SighingCashier

2026-04-02 09:23:00

Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai was previously convicted of offenses including conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, among other charges, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Today, the HKSAR Government has applied to the court for the forfeiture of property related to Jimmy Lai’s criminal offenses, with the important aim of preventing and curbing acts and activities that endanger national security.

Forfeiture orders effectively strike serious crimes and protect public interests

A government spokesperson said that the HKSAR is a society governed by the rule of law and has all along upheld the principle that laws must be complied with and those who break them must be held accountable. Among these measures, applying to the court for a forfeiture order is one of the ways to effectively combat serious crimes and protect public interests. The laws and mechanisms relating to the forfeiture of property connected to criminal offenses are also common around the world.

The spokesperson said that forfeiture orders made to meet the needs for safeguarding national security can prevent persons who commit offenses endangering national security, their accomplices, or their agents from continuing to carry out acts and activities endangering national security by using property related to their crimes. This helps to sever the funding chain of offenses endangering national security and weaken their ability to commit such offenses.

The spokesperson reiterated that the HKSAR Government will, as always, remain resolute and unswerving, strictly adhere to the principles of the rule of law, and uphold the principle of “the law must be complied with, law enforcement must be strict, and those who break the law must be held accountable.” It will effectively prevent, curb, and punish acts and activities that endanger national security in accordance with the law, while also safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of Hong Kong residents and others in Hong Kong.

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