Exempt suspected white-collar criminals from plan to start extraditing fugitives from Hong Kong to Taiwan and mainland China, says pro-Beijing legislator

A Beijing loyalist was on Friday pushing for people suspected of white-collar crimes to be exempted from a fraught government plan to start handing over fugitives to mainland China, Taiwan and Macau. Basic Law Committee member Priscilla Leung Mei-fun said she would lobby Beijing to support her revision, which she hoped could also allay public fears. She noted that opposition figures worried that the central government would request transfers of political dissidents with accusations of white-collar crimes. The suggestion by Leung, also a pro-government lawmaker, could mean the removal of a third of the current 46 kinds of offence for which people can be extradited. On February 12 the Security Bureau revealed its plan to tweak the law to allow the surrender of fugitives to any jurisdiction with which the city lacks an extradition deal, including Macau, Taiwan and the mainland. Under the proposal, extradition requests would be handled on a case-by-case basis, with the city’s chief executive issuing a certificate to start the transfer of a fugitive. The final say on granting the arrest and eventual transfer would rest with the courts. It is understood the government had already consulted Beijing over the change. Officials said it was aimed at plugging loopholes exposed by a homicide case last year in which Taiwanese authorities were unable to prosecute a Hongkonger accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend in Taipei before fleeing to Hong Kong. Teen whose girlfriend was found dead in Taipei faces money laundering trial Currently, suspects can be surrendered to one of the 20 countries with which Hong Kong has an extradition deal, for committing any of the 46 offences. The offences include things such as murder, hacking, smuggling and tax evasion, as well as 15 common white-collar crimes, such as fraud, corruption, money laundering and perjury. We could do better to address concerns and win public support Priscilla Leung On Friday, Leung proposed striking the white-collar crimes from the list. “The thresholds for some offences are so different between [Hong Kong and the mainland] ... We should be open to discussing if we could exempt some laws from the list,” Leung said, adding that people from the business sector had also raised concerns. “We could do better to address concerns and win public support.” She also suggested only the central government should be allowed to request a fugitive’s transfer to the mainland, and not municipal governments. Leung said she would raise her proposal with the Basic Law Committee – which advises the central government on the city’s de facto constitution – and the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office in Beijing. Security minister John Lee Ka-chiu earlier defended the current list, saying that it complied with international standards. Ronny Tong Ka-wah, an adviser to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and a senior counsel, echoed Lee’s views, adding that Leung’s proposal was unnecessary because Hong Kong courts offered sufficient legal safeguards. “Hong Kong courts could always block an extradition request of a political nature, or simply any political opinion perceived to have an effect on the case,” Tong said. Legco seeks answers from Hong Kong leader on bay area plan Democratic Party legislator James To Kun-sun said Leung’s suggestion would be impractical. “If taking out white-collar crimes could seal the deal, it would not have taken more than 20 years to negotiate between Hong Kong and Beijing,” To said. But the bureau’s proposal has also come in for criticism. The pan-democratic camp and pressure groups have asked for a special arrangement only with Taiwan instead, saying they had little faith in the mainland legal system. The Progressive Lawyers’ Group, a civic group of lawyers and law students, said in a statement on Thursday the change would place political activists, Beijing critics and overseas visitors at risk by empowering the city’s government to extradite them. The group noted the courts would have the final say. But it warned any extradition only required prima facie evidence, a “significantly lower” standard of proof than for a criminal indictment. It called on the bureau to withdraw the plan, saying smaller amendments could address the Taiwan homicide case.

Exempt suspected white-collar criminals from plan to start extraditing fugitives from Hong Kong to Taiwan and mainland China, says pro-Beijing legislator

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Priscilla Leung suggests change of plan for new arrangement with Beijing and Taiwan She notes worries that activists or government critics could face surrender requests

Priscilla Leung suggests change of plan for new arrangement with Beijing and Taiwan

She notes worries that activists or government critics could face surrender requests