Taiwan and Hong Kong trade insults over robbery suspect in extradition row

Taiwanese authorities say Hong Kong will become a haven for criminals after request for legal help in watch shop hold-up case turned down

Hong Kong hits back, accusing the self-ruled island of ‘irresponsible’ statements

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A war of words has erupted between Taiwan and Hong Kong over the continuing lack of a law in the city permitting judicial assistance and extradition. An attempt to introduce one earlier this year sparked anti-government protests because it would have also permitted extraditions to mainland China. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:50pm, 23 Dec 2019Updated: 11:26pm, 23 Dec 2019

Taiwan has criticised Hong Kong authorities for rejecting its request for legal help in a robbery case, accusing the city of a similar denial of justice as its handling of a murder that prompted the failed extradition law and months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong.

But the Hong Kong government hit back in a late-night statement on Sunday, saying it strongly opposed and resented the Taiwanese authorities’ repeated use of irresponsible statements to attack it, knowing there was no law permitting judicial assistance and transfer of criminals between the two jurisdictions.

The war of words follows written requests from Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice and Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) for evidence to facilitate the self-ruled island’s investigation into a robbery by a Taiwanese citizen.

The accused, surnamed Lin, is alleged to have threatened a worker at a watch shop in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui district with an air pistol before making off with two watches valued a total of HK$990,000 (US$126,000) in October. He returned to Taiwan later that day where he was arrested.

The 30-year-old man is suspected of being a serial offender who has been linked to a series of robberies across Southeast Asia and Taiwanese police have asked the local prosecutors’ office to detain him.