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Apple Daily parent weighs Security Bureau request for ‘sensitive information’ as it seeks to have assets unfrozen, pay final wages
- The bureau has asked the company to turn over a list of staff names as part of the ongoing negotiations, according to an insider
- The revelation has sparked fears among employees that they could find themselves targeted by the authorities
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The parent company of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily is weighing a Security Bureau request to hand over a list of employees and other “sensitive information” in its bid to have assets frozen under the national security law released so it can pay outstanding wages, the Post has learned.
But some staff members were staunchly opposed to any such move as they feared the disclosure could invite retaliation by authorities, sources said on Saturday.
The newspaper printed its farewell edition last week after several of its top executives were arrested during a raid by police which also froze HK$18 million (US$2.32 million) of its assets. Management at parent company Next Digital said that without access to the cash it was unable to pay wages and had no choice but to close.
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“We are not pinning our hopes on getting back wages from the company,” a former staff member familiar with the negotiation said on condition of anonymity. “But we don’t want colleagues to live in new fear if the names of all staff are surrendered to the government.”
The board of directors Next Digital was originally expected to meet again on Monday to consider and approve the annual report for 2020-21. But that meeting has been postponed until further notice.
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