TVB warned over ‘inaccurate’ reports on ex-Hong Kong leader CY Leung’s HK$50 million UGL deal
Communications Authority says city’s main free-to-air broadcaster breached code of practice on programme standards in suggesting justice officials had decided not to prosecute former chief executive
Hong Kong’s main free-to-air broadcaster got a warning on Tuesday over its “inaccurate” reports that the Department of Justice had dropped a case involving HK$50 million (US$6.3 million) in payments made by an Australian engineering firm to a former city leader.
TVB’s reports on February 17 this year quoted sources suggesting the department’s lawyers decided not to prosecute Leung after consulting a senior barrister in Britain it had hired.
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But a department spokesman clarified the next day it had not decided “whether to institute any prosecution” in the case.
Asked on Tuesday whether the case had been concluded, the Department of Justice said “it would not comment on the matter”.
The Communications Authority also disclosed it had received eight public complaints saying the broadcaster’s report was “inaccurate and that the station failed to rectify” it. The authority ruled the complaints about inaccuracy were justified, even though TVB later corrected the error.
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The department “had not been approached by TVB” before the reports under complaint were broadcast or after justice officials’ response was released, the statement read.
“Although TVB had asserted that the relevant reports were accurate at the time of broadcast, it did not submit any information to substantiate such an assertion.”
The authority added the broadcaster had failed to provide any information showing it had “made reasonable efforts to ensure accuracy of the factual contents of its news reports”, thus breaching the programme code.
It decided TVB “should be warned to observe more closely the relevant provisions”.
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Leung is now a vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top advisory body.
On Tuesday, TVB did not cover the authority’s warning during its news round-up at 6.30pm. A source said the broadcaster would also not cover it later in the evening.
The Post has contacted TVB for comment.
Asked if there had been any progress on the UGL case, and specifically whether it had been concluded, the Department of Justice said “it would not comment on the matter”.
Additional reporting by Alvin Lum
