Hong Kong prosecutors drop fugitive tycoon’s case against Apple Daily citing his fragile health
Decision means newspaper and publisher will not face summonses over disclosing Joseph Lau Luen-hung’s personal data without his consent
Hong Kong prosecutors on Wednesday dropped their case against a local newspaper for publishing fugitive Joseph Lau Luen-hung’s medical report in a trial that ended up revealing the tycoon’s recent fragile health.
The prosecutors thus decided not to offer further evidence to pursue the case, he said, meaning that Apple Daily, Apple Daily Printing, and its associate publisher Cheung Kim-hung would not face their four summonses of disclosing personal data obtained without consent in breach of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.
On Monday, the court dropped a bombshell when it revealed Lau was not present, prompting the magistrate to ponder an arrest warrant.
Upon further enquiries, a summary of Lau’s latest medical report was read in court, confirming that Lau – suffering from heart and renal conditions as well as diabetes – had been hospitalised and undergoing three to four dialyses per week.