Adviser to Jailed HK Tycoon Jimmy Lai Says Apple Daily to Shut Within Days
HONG KONG, - Hong Kong's pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily will be forced to close "within a few days" after authorities suspended the company's assets under antitrust national security law, arrested detective adviser Jimmy Lai told Reuters on Monday.
Mark Simon, speaking by telephone from the United States, said Next Digital, publisher of the famous Hong Kong newspaper, will hold a board meeting on Monday to discuss how to move forward.
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"We thought we would be able to arrive by the end of the month," Simon said. "It's getting harder and harder. It's actually a matter of days."
His comments show that the closure is imminent even after Apple Daily said on Sunday the cold of its assets left the newspaper and money "a few weeks" to carry out normal operations. "
The news comes two days after editor-in-chief Ryan Law, 47, and chief executive Cheung Kim-hung, 59, were denied bail after being accused of embezzlement.
Three other officials were also arrested last Thursday when 500 police officers stormed the newspaper's offices in a case that led to the condemnation of Western nations, international rights groups and a major U.N. spokesman. of human rights.
The three were released on bail.
Simon told Reuters that it was difficult to do banking work.
"The traders tried to deposit money into our accounts and were rejected. We could not deposit the banks. Some traders tried to do so as a pretext. We just wanted to find out if it was rejected," he said.
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The newspaper has been under increasing pressure since Beijing owner and staunch critic Jimmy Lai, now incarcerated, was arrested under national security law last August and since then his property has been frozen.
Three companies affiliated with Apple Daily are also being prosecuted for collusion with foreign countries and authorities have seized HK $ 18 million ($ 2.3 million) of their assets.
Mark Simon, speaking by telephone from the United States, said Next Digital, publisher of the famous Hong Kong newspaper, will hold a board meeting on Monday to discuss how to move forward.
"We thought we would be able to arrive by the end of the month," Simon said. "It's getting harder and harder. It's actually a matter of days."
His comments show that the closure is imminent even after Apple Daily said on Sunday the cold of its assets left the newspaper and money "a few weeks" to carry out normal operations. "
The news comes two days after editor-in-chief Ryan Law, 47, and chief executive Cheung Kim-hung, 59, were denied bail after being accused of embezzlement.
Three other officials were also arrested last Thursday when 500 police officers stormed the newspaper's offices in a case that led to the condemnation of Western nations, international rights groups and a major U.N. spokesman. of human rights.
The three were released on bail.
Simon told Reuters that it was difficult to do banking work.
"The traders tried to deposit money into our accounts and were rejected. We could not deposit the banks. Some traders tried to do so as a pretext. We just wanted to find out if it was rejected," he said.
The newspaper has been under increasing pressure since Beijing owner and staunch critic Jimmy Lai, now incarcerated, was arrested under national security law last August and since then his property has been frozen.
Three companies affiliated with Apple Daily are also being prosecuted for collusion with foreign countries and authorities have seized HK $ 18 million ($ 2.3 million) of their assets.
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