The Hong Kong government has asked a court to penalise fugitive ex-lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung for jumping bail in four criminal cases stemming from his allegedly disruptive conduct in the legislature and involvement in an a nti-government protest , arguing no trial is needed. A government-assigned lawyer applied to the High Court on Thursday to either sentence the former opposition lawmaker to jail or a fine on four counts of contempt of court, saying the judge could unilaterally declare the 39-year-old politician, now settled in Australia, guilty as he had chosen to abandon his right to defend himself. Hui first fled to Denmark in November 2020 while out on bail awaiting trial on nine charges. He later flew to Britain before relocating to Adelaide, in South Australia. The former Democratic Party lawmaker previously said that he held Hong Kong’s “unjust” court in contempt, as the “Hong Kong Communist regime” had reduced it to a tool for suppressing dissent following the imposition of the national security law by Beijing. Hong Kong issues arrest warrants for ex-lawmaker, activist over election calls Prosecutors have accused Hui of interrupting three Legislative Council sittings between May and June of 2020, and of harassing a man who filmed anti-government protesters during a demonstration outside a police station in the summer of 2019. Despite the initial confiscation of his passport, two judges gave Hui permission to travel overseas to perform his official duties, which enabled him to leave the city on the pretext of attending climate change meetings in Denmark. Media reports later emerged that Hui had enlisted the help of Danish parliamentary members to draft a bogus itinerary and invitation letter to facilitate his flight. Police also found that Hui’s parents, wife and children had left for London shortly after his departure. Barrister Anthony Chan Ho-ki, for the secretary of justice, said Hui had deliberately and actively provided false and misleading information to dupe the court into returning his travel document. Not only had Hui’s escape delayed the criminal proceedings in the original cases, which involved other defendants, he had undermined the public’s confidence and trust in the due administration of justice, Chan added. Fugitive former Hong Kong lawmaker Ted Hui moves to Australia “Mr Hui’s deception of the police and his subsequent escape were all premeditated,” he said. “He obviously knew what he was doing, and the very reason for doing what he did was to try to escape from, and frustrate, the criminal proceedings launched against him.” Mr Justice Andrew Chan Hing-wai reserved his judgment for a later date. Apart from the nine charges, Hui has also been placed on the wanted lists of national security police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption for allegedly violating the security law and a new offence that prohibits inciting others to boycott an election.