HK's Court of Appeal overturns tycoon Jimmy Lai's fraud conviction, sentencing

HONG KONG — Hong Kong's Court of Appeal on Thursday overturned a lower court ruling against jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai's conviction and sentence for a fraud offense.

Judges Jeremy Poon, Anthea Pang, and Derek Pang said in the judgment that they allowed the appeal application from Lai, and another defendant in the case.

"The Court of Appeal gave them leave to appeal against their conviction, allowed their appeals, quashed the convictions and set aside the sentences," the judges wrote in a press summary of their judgement.

Lai was sentenced in December 2022 to five years and nine months in jail after being found guilty of breaching the lease terms of Apple Daily’s headquarters by concealing the operation of a private company, Dico Consultants Ltd, in the building.

Another Next Digital executive, Wong Wai-keung, 61, was found guilty of fraud and jailed for 21 months. — Reuters