Murder suspect at centre of Hong Kong’s extradition bill protest crisis writes to city’s leader, asking for help to turn himself in to Taiwan
- Chan Tong-kai, 20, who has been serving time in Hong Kong for money laundering, will be released next Wednesday
- Anglican priest who has visited suspect in jail says Chan hopes the move will calm the of chaos Hong Kong has endured
A soon-to-be-released murder suspect, originally at the centre of Hong Kong’s political crisis sparked by the government’s now-withdrawn extradition bill has written to the city’s leader, offering to turn himself in to Taiwan authorities.
The government revealed late on Friday night in a statement that Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor had received a letter from Chan Tong-kai asking her administration to make the arrangements.
“Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau has today received a letter issued by the Hong Kong Police Force, relaying Chan’s decision to surrender himself to Taiwan. The letter also conveyed that the authority of Hong Kong would assist Chan in relevant arrangements, and provide the necessary and legally feasible assistance to Taiwan on this matter,” the statement read.
“I have been visiting him for more than half a year now. At first he was worried about turning himself in, but after talking to lawyers from Taiwan and with his family, he made the decision last month,” said the provincial secretary general of the city’s Anglican Church.
“I told him that he’s still young. How many more years can he hide from this? Even if he’s jailed for more than 10 years, he can still have a new start, rather than living in guilt.”