Hong Kong security chief John Lee vows to push on with controversial extradition law even if murder suspect whose case prompted bill has already walked free
- Lee says the administration will press on regardless of whether student Chan Tong-kai will escape being extradited to Taiwan
- Beijing’s top man in charge of Hong Kong affairs says primary aim of the law is to net mainland Chinese fugitives
John Lee Ka-chiu made the pledge as Beijing’s top man in charge of Hong Kong affairs sought to assuage fears that the proposed law – which would allow the transfer of fugitives to any jurisdiction with which the city lacks an extradition deal, including mainland China, Macau and Taiwan – was targeting Hongkongers. Rather, he said, the primary aim was to net fugitive mainland criminals.
Since it announced the legislation in February, the government has insisted the changes are to plug a legal loophole exposed by a homicide case last year, in which Hongkonger Chan Tong-kai, wanted for allegedly murdering his girlfriend in Taiwan, could not be sent to the self-governed island.
But Chan, who had been remanded in Hong Kong, pleaded guilty last week to money laundering charges. With his guilty plea, the 20-year-old student could end his prison term – yet to be handed down – before the extradition law is passed and he might by then have already left the city.
But even if the new laws are passed after the suspect has walked free, we still have to handle the reality that we do not have a mechanism to handle fugitive transfer at this moment
However, on Monday Lee said the administration would press on regardless of whether Chan would escape being extradited.