Ronny Tong Questions Why Jimmy Lai Hasn't Appealed

Senior counsel Ronny Tong questioned why media tycoon Jimmy Lai hasn't filed an appeal after being remanded in custody last week on a charge of fraud related to the lease of a building that houses Next Media group.

Lai and two senior executives of his company Next Digital - administrative director Wong Wai-keung and chief operating officer Royston Chow - were charged last week on suspicion of concealing from and falsely representing the use of their office to their landlord, a public corporation set up by the Hong Kong government.

Chief Magistrate Victor So - who's among those designated to handle national security cases - set bail for Wong and Chow at HK$100,000 and HK$200,000 respectively, ordering them not to leave Hong Kong.

However, Lai was remanded in custody and the case has been adjourned until April 2021.

Tong, who's also an executive councillor, told RTHK on Thursday that he still had legal options.

"Obviously Mr Lai has avenues of appeal if he thinks that the decision (to remand him in custody) is wrong then he's entitled to take the matter to appeal. So far he hasn't done and I'm not sure why that is so. Maybe he thinks that is not important."

The prosecution in Lai's case said there was still a chance Lai could be charged with national security offences, but Tong said this would be grounds for appeal for Lai if that was a factor in the decision to deny him bail.