Tycoon Jimmy Lai was jailed for five years and nine months and fined HK$2 million on Saturday for concealing the fact that he was operating a consultancy from the headquarters of Next Digital, in breach of lease conditions.

A former executive of Next Digital, Wong Wai-keung, was jailed for 21 months over the same offence.

The court heard that Dico Consultants operated from the building on the Tseung Kwan O industrial estate – violating a rental contract between Next Digital and the landlord, the Science & Technology Parks Corporation.

District Court Judge Stanley Chan said the offence was carried out for up to 21 years, adding that Lai played an important role in the case.

The judge noted that Lai showed no remorse and blamed the company's chief operating officer for the mistake.

He said Lai had used his media organisation as a protective shield, preventing the landlord from carrying out checks on the building.

He added that although the tycoon controlled a large-scale media network, his prestige hadn't stopped him from violating the law.

He said a media tycoon being prosecuted didn't equate to suppression of press freedom, stressing that the case at hand was simply one of fraud and should not be given any political significance.

Meanwhile, the judge gave Wong a more lenient sentence, saying he had followed orders given by his seniors, was not the mastermind behind the offence and had not personally gained from the arrangement.
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Last updated: 2022-12-10 HKT 16:43