Govt moves to seize Jimmy Lai's properties

The government on Thursday filed an application to confiscate properties linked to crimes committed by Jimmy Lai, the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, in accordance with the city's national security laws. It said this is to achieve the important goals of preventing and stopping acts and activities that endanger national security. Lai was earlier convicted of three national security offences and sentenced to 20 years in prison by the High Court. The application was filed with the Court of First Instance. The government said that according to the National Security Law, any money or property gained from crimes under this law – including financial aid, profits, rewards, and any funds or tools used or meant to be used in committing the crime – shall be seized and confiscated. "A forfeiture order made for the purpose of safeguarding national security can prevent persons convicted of offences endangering national security, their accomplices or agents from continuing to use their offence-related properties to engage in acts and activities endangering national security, so as to cut off the funding chains for offences endangering national security and to weaken their capacity to commit offences endangering national security," a government spokesperson said in a statement. Edited by Edmond Fong