Lai is one of the financial hub’s most ardent critics of Beijing, while his Next Media group is considered one of the key remaining bastions of media freedom. Under the new law, the onus is on the defendant to prove they would not be a national security threat if released on bail. Under Hong Kong’s common law-based legal system, the onus has traditionally been on the prosecution to prove its case. The tycoon has been a frequent visitor to Washington, meeting with officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to rally support for Hong Kong democracy, prompting Beijing to label him a “traitor”. ($1 = 7.7523 Hong Kong dollars)

Source: bd News24 December 23, 2020 11:26 UTC