Man who killed girlfriend in Taiwan could be free by October, setting effective deadline for Hong Kong government’s extradition plan

Hong Kong’s leader has stressed the “absolute urgency” to have a controversial bill passed in time to extradite a fugitive wanted in Taiwan over the murder of his girlfriend, given that he could be released as early as October after he was jailed for 29 months on money laundering charges by the High Court on Monday.

“There is no time to lose. We must strive to pass the law by the 2018-2019 session of the Legislative Council meetings – that is, by this summer,” Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said. “The Taiwan murder case has set the clock ticking. We don’t want the suspect to escape.”

The man at the centre of the storm, 20-year-old Chan Tong-kai, was sentenced for money laundering stemming from the theft of his murdered girlfriend’s money and property.

The ruling was handed down the day after tens of thousands took to the streets to oppose a legislative amendment that would allow the transfer of fugitives from Hong Kong to Taiwan, mainland China and Macau.

Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu said he expected Chan, who cannot be extradited to Taiwan in the absence of a formal agreement, to be released at the earliest this October, given the time he has served and further deductions on account of holidays and good behaviour during his detention. The government has until then to push through the bill in time to send him to Taiwan to face trial.

Lam expressed hope lawmakers would make good use of their time to discuss the bill at a second meeting on Tuesday morning. Their first meeting broke down on April 17 because of a filibuster by opposition politicians objecting to the amendment, which they fear will place Hongkongers at the mercy of a mainland Chinese justice system they do not trust.