Legal Assistant Charged Under Security Law

A 29-year-old legal assistant has been charged under the national security law for allegedly colluding with foreign forces by requesting a foreign country to impose sanctions on Hong Kong.

Chan Tze-wah was escorted to West Kowloon Magistracy for a mention hearing on Wednesday.

The defendant was charged with colluding with foreign or external forces to endanger national security and conspiring to assist offenders.

Prosecution alleges that he colluded with media tycoon Jimmy Lai, activist Andy Li and others in requesting "a foreign country or an external institution, organisation or individual to impose sanctions or blockade, or engage in other hostile activities against the Hong Kong SAR or the People’s Republic of China".

The alleged offence took place between July 2020 and February 2021.

If convicted, the maximum punishment is life imprisonment.

Chan is also accused of colluding with Lai in aiding Li to flee to Taiwan, "without lawful authority or reasonable excuse and with intent to impede his apprehension or prosecution".

Chan was denied bail and remanded in custody ahead of his next hearing on April 14.

RTHK understands that the media tycoon was also arrested in connection with the case.

Lai is in custody awaiting trial for alleged national security and fraud offences.

Li, a member of the advocacy group "Hong Kong Story", was arrested by police on August 10 last year, the same day police raided the Apple Daily headquarters in Tseung Kwan O and detained Lai, who founded the newspaper, on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces.

While Li was freed on bail, he and 11 other Hongkongers tried to flee by speed boat to Taiwan and were seized by mainland authorities.

Li is serving a seven-month jail term in Shenzhen for the illegal border crossing.

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