Writs Seek Return Of Seized Next Media Material

Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai and several executives of his Next Media group have launched legal action against the police, demanding the return of documents seized during a raid on the newspaper's offices on Monday.

According to writs filed at the High Court on Thursday afternoon, they were seeking a court order for the police to hand back journalistic material, information with legal professional privilege, and all other material not covered by the search warrant.

According to an affirmation filed by Apple Daily’s editor-in-chief Ryan Law in support of the legal action, seven solicitors and five barristers representing the media group who arrived at the company after the raid began were not able to keep track of the entire police operation or examine what exactly had been seized.

He said among the items taken by the police were 
computers belonging to Lai and his secretary Julie Chan, as well as those of reporters and the company's editorial, finance and security departments.

Law also said other information seized, including correspondence with lawyers and private communication between staff and their family and friends, was beyond the scope of the warrant.

The police took away about 30 boxes of material in their high-profile raid in Tseung Kwan O. But they insisted they had not taken away any journalistic material.

Lai, two of his sons, and executives from the media group were among 10 people arrested on Monday on suspicion of national-security crimes and/or fraud. They have since been freed on bail.

______________________________