Hong Kong media firm Next Digital executives say HSBC has frozen their bank, credit card accounts
- Next Digital CEO Cheung Kim-hung says he is unable to withdraw money, while chairman’s aide Mark Simon says his personal, credit card accounts have been frozen
- Simon says the personal and business accounts of Apple Daily publisher Jimmy Lai have also been frozen, but Next’s business accounts are still active
Executives of Hong Kong media firm Next Digital at the centre of a row between Washington and Beijing told the Post on Thursday their bank accounts with HSBC had been suspended without any prior notice.
Next’s CEO Cheung Kim-hung said he was unable to withdraw any money from his personal account, but his credit cards with the bank were active.
Mark Simon, the top aide of Next’s chairman and founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, told the Post that HSBC froze his personal and credit card accounts, as well as Lai’s personal and private business accounts. However, he said Next’s business accounts were active.
“I have instructed [my] lawyer to make inquiries to the bank,” Cheung said. “It may be due to my arrest on 10 August.”
HSBC declined to comment on individual customers.
Cheung and Lai were among seven people arrested on August 10 over alleged fraud and violations of the national security law. The arrested also included Lai’s two sons and three senior employees with Next, which publishes tabloid-style Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily. Simon, who was not in the city, is wanted by police.