Hong Kong Court Orders Former Apple Daily to Pay HK$1.5 Million in Defamation Case
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A Hong Kong High Court has ordered the defunct Apple Daily newspaper to pay HK$1.5 million in damages to a listed company and two senior executives over ten defamatory articles that accused them of spying on pro-democracy activists at Beijing's request. The judgment, delivered by Mr Justice Tony Poon Siu-tung on Tuesday, found that the 2019 articles exposed the plaintiffs to contempt and ridicule without any substantiated evidence.
Key Points
- The High Court ordered Apple Daily Limited and AD Internet Limited to pay HK$400,000 to HK$600,000 each to China Innovation Investment, chairman Xiang Xin, and alternate director Kung Ching, totalling HK$1.5 million
- The ten defamatory articles were published between November 23 and December 7, 2019, and alleged the plaintiffs operated as a front for the Communist Party of China to infiltrate political groups, universities, and media outlets
- The articles were based on claims by self-proclaimed former spy William Wang Liqiang, who was later described by Beijing as a convicted fraudster; Australian authorities rejected his asylum bid citing serious fraud offences
- The court found the newspaper presented no evidence to counter the civil claim and failed to give the company and executives an opportunity to respond before publication
- Taiwanese authorities investigated Xiang and Kung for three years, detaining the couple on the self-ruled island before dropping the case as none of Wang's claims were substantiated
Why It Matters
The ruling underscores the legal consequences media outlets face for publishing unverified allegations without giving subjects a right of reply, a fundamental principle of responsible journalism. As Apple Daily was already wound up following a government petition in 2021, the damages will be paid from the newspaper's liquidation assets, marking another chapter in the outlet's controversial final years .
The ruling underscores the legal consequences media outlets face for publishing unverified allegations without giving subjects a right of reply, a fundamental principle of responsible journalism. As Apple Daily was already wound up following a government petition in 2021, the damages will be paid from the newspaper's liquidation assets, marking another chapter in the outlet's controversial final years .