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| Jimmy Lai was acquitted on September 3, but DoJ appealing |
Last month Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was acquitted of verbally threatening an Oriental Daily reporter, saying he would get someone "to mess with him" after taking pictures and videos of Lai during the 2017 June 4 vigil in Victoria Park.
Magistrate May Chung Ming-sun accepted the defense's argument that the tycoon had an "instinctive
outburst" when confronting the reporter at the vigil. However, Chung noted the reporter, rather than looking worried after hearing the threat, seemed to laugh off Lai's remarks, suggesting he was not at all frightened by him.
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| 2017 Tiananmen Square vigil in Victoria Park |
In addition, the magistrate rejected the reporter's testimony that he only feigned laughter in an attempt to calm Lai down,
and accused the reporter of being dishonest and taking him to task for what she characterized as an evasive attitude in answering questions about the exchange.
With this kind of judgment, where Chung deemed the reporter and unreliable witness, that this matter would be over.
Instead, the Department of Justice announced today it will appeal the decision, the last day of a two-week period allowed after a court decision.
In a brief statement, the Department of Justice said it had lodged an appeal by way of case stated, under the Magistrates Ordinance. Such appeals are instituted where significant points of law are involved.
"It is not appropriate to make further comment as the legal proceedings are under way," the statement said.
What kind of legal gymnastics is the prosecutor going to perform this time to get the conviction it wants when the witness was already deemed dishonest?
