Canada’s immigration department retracts depiction of fugitive Ching Mo Yeung as criminal and fraudster
Lawyer for Chinese corruption suspect, now a Vancouver property developer, had labelled assertion ‘defamatory’
UPDATE: Michael Ching Mo Yeung has commenced legal proceedings against South China Morning Post in the Supreme Court of British Columbia. Mr Ching alleges in his lawsuit that this article contains false and defamatory statements, and that the conduct of South China Morning Post and its reporter was malicious, reprehensible, high-handed, and blameworthy.
Canada’s immigration department is withdrawing its statement depicting Chinese fugitive Michael Ching Mo Yeung as a criminal and fraudster, after Ching’s lawyer branded a report on the statement as “defamatory”.
In an unsolicited email on Wednesday, Citizenship and Immigration Canada sought to change the wording of the unusually strong statement it had issued to the South China Morning Post about Ching the previous Thursday. Ching, now a prominent Vancouver property developer, was last week identified by the Post as Cheng Muyang, wanted by Chinese authorities who accuse him of graft and illegal asset transfers.
“While it is true that in general, Canadians are generous and welcoming people, but they have no tolerance for criminals and fraudsters abusing our generosity, as matters concerning Mr Ching remain before the courts, CIC did not comment on the specifics of his case,” claimed the latest email from CIC spokeswoman Sonia Lesage.
However, in its earlier comments, CIC had provided what it called “the Department’s statement in response to your questions”. The Post had sent CIC a request, headed “South China Morning Post query: Ching Mo Yeung”, and posing questions that related only to Ching, and his claims to have been dealt with unfairly by Canadian authorities.
CIC’s original April 30 statement read in its entirety: “Canadians are generous and welcoming people, but they have no tolerance for criminals and fraudsters abusing our generosity. Once individuals have exhausted all legal avenues, we expect them to respect our immigration laws and leave Canada, or to be removed.