Hong Kong judge denied bail to ex-lawmaker charged under national security law after learning he was invited by US consulate ‘for coffee’, judiciary reveals
- Former Civic Party legislator Jeremy Tam’s assistant submitted the invitations as evidence he had cut ties with foreign governments by ignoring the offers
- But judge Esther Toh felt otherwise and said the conversations showed how influential he was
A judge denied bail to a former opposition lawmaker charged with subversion under the national security law after learning he had received repeated invitations from the United States consulate in the city asking him to meet up “for coffee”, Hong Kong’s judiciary has revealed.
In four sets of rulings published by the judiciary on Thursday, Madam Justice Esther Toh Lye-ping of the High Court explained her decisions last month to revoke bail previously granted to former Civic Party legislator Jeremy Tam Man-ho, release two opposition district councillors and dismiss a bail bid by a third councillor.
The four were among 47 politicians and activists accused of breaching the national security law for their roles in an unofficial Legislative Council primary election last summer.
In one of the rulings, Toh said Tam had called for sanctions from Washington by signing a letter in September 2019, urging the US Congress to pass the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.
The judge observed that Tam had remained a person of interest to foreign powers, which was exemplified by three emails from the US consulate between September last year and February this year, inviting him to “catch up” with the consul general.
The invitations were submitted by Tam’s assistant as evidence he had cut ties with foreign governments by ignoring the offers, but the judge thought otherwise and felt the conversations showed how influential he was.
“I am satisfied that there are no sufficient grounds for believing that [Tam] will not continue to commit acts endangering national security if bail is granted,” she concluded.