Ted Hui Sentenced To Jail In Absentia

Self-exiled politician Ted Hui was on Thursday sentenced in absentia to three and a half years in prison for failing to attend court while on bail.

Hui was given permission to travel overseas when he was granted bail after appearing in court to face nine charges relating to the 2019 social unrest. He left Hong Kong in November 2020, saying he was attending climate change meetings in Denmark.

He later revealed that he had landed in the UK via Denmark, and has since relocated to Australia.

In sentencing him to contempt of court for breaching bail conditions and providing false or misleading information to the police, Justice Andrew Chan noted Hui had presented false invitations from a foreign political organisation and a false itinerary, in order to mislead the police and the court into letting him travel.

“The deception was carefully orchestrated by the Respondent with the consequences that public confidence in the administration of justice had been greatly undermined,” the judge said in a written ruling.

“[Hui’s] actions not only made a mockery of the criminal justice system but also amounted to the commission of the offence of Perverting the Course of Public Justice,” he added, saying Hui had shown no remorse.

The judge also ordered Hui to pay the legal costs of the proceedings.