Apple Daily staff national security case adjourned

Six former senior executives and editors of the now-defunct Apple Daily made brief appearances in court over national security charges on Thursday.

Next Digital’s former CEO Cheung Kim-hung, the paper’s former editor-in-chief Ryan Law, executives Chan Pui-man and Lam Man-chun, along with writers Yeung Ching-kee and Fung Wai-kong are charged with conspiracy to collude with foreign forces between July 1 last year and April 3 this year.

Three Apple Daily-linked companies have also been charged.

During the hearing, principal magistrate Peter Law accepted the prosecution’s request to adjourn the hearing to October 12 for a committal hearing to transfer the case to the High Court.

None of the six defendants applied for bail. They were ordered to be remanded in custody pending the next hearing.

The court noted that Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited, and AD Internet Limited did not send any representatives to the hearing.

The court adjourned the case to October 12 for the three companies for a mention hearing, to give time for the police and prosecutors to find out why they were absent.

On Wednesday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan filed a petition to the High Court to seek the winding up of Next Digital, saying the move was in the public interest.