Journalists working for Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai in court over publication of birth certificate for youngest son of actress Cecilia Cheung
- Editor of Next Magazine Mak King-hing, and Cheung Ching accused of breaching privacy laws
- Two of Lai’s companies also charged over incident in January 2019
Two journalists from media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s Next Magazine appeared in court on Monday after they were prosecuted for disclosing a copy of the birth certificate of one of actress Cecilia Cheung Pak-chi’s three sons.
Answering the summons in Kwun Tong court on Monday afternoon, Next Digital Limited, Element 5 Digital Limited, Mak King-hing, 47, and Cheung Ching, 40, were accused of breaching the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.
Mak, the magazine editor, shared a charge of “disclosing personal data of a data subject which was obtained from a data user without data user’s consent” with the two companies. Both firms are owned by Lai.
The offence carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of HK$1 million.
Mak, together with the companies, is accused of disclosing a child’s personal data contained in a certificate copy of an entry in a Register of Birth under the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance on January 28, 2019, with an intent to obtain gain in money or other property.
Cheung, whose job title was not disclosed in court, was charged with one count of “aiding and abetting” the disclosure of the personal data involved in the same event.