Fugitive Hong Kong tycoon sues tabloid Next Magazine over report he and his partner exited funeral by back door
- Libel claim seeks damages over online article and accompanying video
A fugitive Hong Kong tycoon is suing a local tabloid magazine after it reported that he and his partner had to leave the funeral of late property magnate Walter Kwok Ping-sheung through a back door.
Law firm Sit, Fung, Kwong & Shum, which filed the court action on Lau’s behalf, said the tycoon would claim “damages for the publication of libel, including aggravated and exemplary damages, in respect of defamatory words” carried in the article and in an accompanying video.
The writ named Element 5 Digital Limited, which runs Next Magazine, as the defendant. Known for its provocative style, the magazine is a sister product of newspaper Apple Daily, which is owned by Next Media group.
The amount of damages has yet to be specified.
The lawsuit also seeks to prevent the Chinese-language weekly from further publishing the content in question.