Director of Next Media Arrested | 5 High-level Executives Arrested for Violating National Security Law and Will Be Returned to Apple Building

Burst

Written by: Ling Yide

2021-06-17 08:20

Last update date: 2021-06-17 09:09

Five high-level officials of Next Media were arrested on suspicion of "conspiring to collude with foreign countries or foreign forces to endanger national security" in the National Security Act. Over a hundred police officers went to the arrested person’s home to conduct a search early this (17th) morning. The arrested persons included " Luo Weiguang, editor-in-chief of Apple Daily.

At the same time, a large number of police officers proceeded to search the "Apple Daily" building in Tseung Kwan O.

The National Security Office of the Police Department issued a statement stating that it held a court warrant to search the building for the purpose of searching evidence for a suspected violation of the National Security Law.

It is understood that the five arrested persons will be escorted to the "Apple Daily" building in Tseung Kwan O for search.

[0900] It is understood that the five arrested persons will be escorted to the "Apple Daily" building in Tseung Kwan O for search.

[0844] The police officers boarded the building and stationed at the gate, the top floor and other places. It can be seen that the police officers prepared a large number of light blue plastic boxes, which are believed to be used to take away the evidence.

According to the live broadcast of "Apple", employees of One Media Building must register their employee ID, ID card, and department to enter the building when they go to work.

The police also restricted the area of ​​movement of employees in the building, and some areas were fenced off and could not enter inside.

"Apple" executives are understanding the content of the court warrant.

Those arrested include Zhang Jianhong, Chief Executive Officer of Next Media Group, Zhou Daquan, Chief Operating Officer, Luo Weiguang, Editor-in-Chief of Apple Daily, Chen Peimin, Deputy President, and Zhang Zhiwei, Executive Editor-in-Chief.

The police went to the "Apple Daily" editor-in-chief Luo Weiguang's apartment in Quarry Bay on Hong Kong Island to search in the early morning and took Luo away at 7:30 in the morning.

At about the same time, officers of the National Security Department also arrested Zhang Jianxiong, Chow Tat Kwon, Chen Peimin and Zhang Zhiwei in Mei Foo Sun Chuen, Ap Lei Chau South Horizons, Tseung Kwan O Metropark Bay and Sai Kung Wo Mei Village, and escorted them back to Cheung Sha Wan Police Station. Aberdeen Police Station, Tseung Kwan O Police Station and West Page Police Station were detained for investigation.

At the same time, around 7 am, a large number of police vehicles set off along Environmental Avenue in Tseung Kwan O towards the "Apple Daily" newspaper. The cordon was pulled outside the building. Police officers boarded the building and stationed at the gate, top floor, etc. The police media liaison team also at the scene.

This is the second time that the police raided the "Apple Daily" building on August 10 last year for investigating suspected violations of the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law, and arrested the founder of One Media, Li Zhiying, his two sons, and four senior officials of One Media. Action against "Apple Daily".

The National Security Division of the Police Force issued a draft at 8:07 am stating that this morning (17th) the execution of the court warrant issued by the court in accordance with Article 43(1) of the Hong Kong National Security Act (National Security Act) and Schedule 1 of the Implementation Rules , To search a media organization in Tseung Kwan O. The search warrant granted the police the power to search including news materials.

The purpose of the operation was to search evidence for a suspected violation of the National Security Law, and the search operation is still in progress.

The police issued a press release through the Information Services Department at 7:24 am, stating that the National Security Department of the Police Department arrested 5 company directors this morning (June 17) for violating the "Hong Kong National Security Act" (National Security Act).

The 5 people include 4 men and 1 woman, aged between 47 and 63 years old.

They are suspected of violating Article 29 of the National Security Law, "the crime of conspiring to collude with foreign countries or foreign forces to endanger national security."

The police also searched the arrested person's residence.

Five people have been detained for investigation.

The National Security Office of the police arrested five "one media" senior officials and searched the "Apple Daily" building

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