Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam: I never handed over a fugitive to mainland China against US wishes
City leader’s office rebuts allegation in State Department report that she rejected its extradition request ‘at the behest’ of the central government last October
Beijing’s liaison office free to do its own thing, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says
The report did not give details of the case, but stated that a detainee was released into “central government custody” on the basis that Beijing was “pursuing a separate criminal action”.
“This was the first such instance since 1997,” it said of the refusal. “The central government has provided no information as to the disposition of its own case against the individual.”
“Currently, there is no surrender of fugitive offenders arrangement between [Hong Kong] and the mainland,” her office said. “Therefore, no surrender of a fugitive has ever been made to the mainland. The [Hong Kong] government deals with any movement of persons in and out of Hong Kong in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong.”
The fugitive in question was identified as 28-year-old Chinese hacker Iat Hong by US prosecutors in a separate, high-profile New York bribery investigation into former Hong Kong home affairs minister Patrick Ho Chi-ping.
Last May, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ordered Hong to repay US$462,471 and to pay a fine exceeding US$1.38 million. His mother, Sou Cheng Lai, was named in SEC documents as a relief defendant – one who has received ill-gotten funds or assets – and told to return “unlawful proceeds in her possession resulting from defendant Hong’s illicit trading”.
“It is hard for us to judge the level of public interest,” she added.
Ip said the bilateral agreement between the US and Hong Kong – under which the city has generally honoured requests for extradition – also allowed it to say no if it concerned nationals whose crimes were related to matters of essential public interest, defence or foreign affairs.
But Democratic Party lawmaker James To Kun-sun argued the US should have been given a fuller explanation as to why the extradition request was rejected.
“As a member of the agreement, with a long history of cooperation ... if possible, you should tell them the reasons,” To said on a radio programme with Ip.
