HONG KONG: Shipping firm APL and a vessel captain were fined a total of HK$99,000 (US$12,600) on Monday (Apr 29) for transporting nine Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Terrex vehicles into Hong Kong without a proper licence in 2016.Chinese national Pan Xuejun, the vessel's captain, and APL were jointly charged and convicted of importing and exporting strategic commodities without a proper licence.Pan was handed a HK$9,000 fine and a three-month suspended prison sentence, while APL was fined HK$90,000 by the Hong Kong District Court.The SAF Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicles and associated equipment were seized by local authorities on Nov 23, 2016, as the shipment was passing through Hong Kong. They were on their way back to Singapore after military exercises in Taiwan.The armoured troop carriers were returned to Singapore two months later, after Hong Kong authorities completed their investigations.Hong Kong Customs said in March … [Read more...] about Shipping firm APL, captain fined in Hong Kong over transport of SAF Terrex vehicles
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Shipping firm APL, captain found guilty in Hong Kong over transport of SAF Terrex vehicles
HONG KONG: Shipping firm APL and a ship captain were found guilty on Monday (Apr 29) of transporting nine Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Terrex vehicles into Hong Kong in 2016 without a proper licence.Both parties were jointly charged and convicted of importing and exporting strategic commodities without a proper licence. Chinese national Pan Xuejun, the vessel's captain, could be jailed for up to seven years, and both APL and Pan face an unlimited fine.The SAF Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicles and associated equipment were seized by local authorities on Nov 23, 2016, as it was passing through Hong Kong. They were being shipped back to Singapore after military exercises in Taiwan.The armoured troop carriers were returned to Singapore two months later.Hong Kong Customs said in March 2017 that it had started prosecution of shipping firm APL and the captain.NO PROPER LICENCEThe prosecution alleged that the vehicles had no proper licence and were … [Read more...] about Shipping firm APL, captain found guilty in Hong Kong over transport of SAF Terrex vehicles
US comments on Hong Kong ‘gross interference’: China
BEIJING: China on Monday (Apr 29) lashed out at the United States for voicing alarm over the jailing of leaders of Hong Kong's democracy movement, calling Washington's comments a "gross interference".Four prominent activists were last week jailed for their role in the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests, which paralysed Hong Kong's central business district for months and infuriated Beijing with its show of anger over the city's leadership and direction.The US State Department on Friday said it was "disappointed" by the jailing and called on the city to respect residents' rights to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly."We expressed strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to these comments," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing."China urges the US to respect China's sovereignty, respect the rule of law in Hong Kong, respect the judicial independence that the US claims is important, and stop interfering in Hong Kong's internal affairs … [Read more...] about US comments on Hong Kong ‘gross interference’: China
Suspect in Taiwan Valentine’s murder jailed in Hong Kong
HONG KONG: A Hong Kong man wanted in Taiwan for strangling his pregnant girlfriend in a case used by the city to justify controversial changes to its extradition laws was jailed Monday (Apr 29), but not for murder.Chan Tong-kai, 20, confessed to Hong Kong police that he killed Poon Hiu-wing and dumped her body on the outskirts of Taipei last year.Poon, who was 20 and was five months pregnant, was strangled during a Valentine's holiday to the island by Chan who fled back to Hong Kong, which has no extradition agreement with Taiwan.The killing sparked sympathy for Poon's family and was used by the Hong Kong government to advocate changing the financial hub's laws to allow extraditions on a case-by-case basis to Taiwan, Macau and mainland China.But the decision to include the mainland in those proposals sparked huge protests and a major backlash within the city's business and legal communities who fear it will hammer Hong Kong's international appeal and tangle people up in China's opaque … [Read more...] about Suspect in Taiwan Valentine’s murder jailed in Hong Kong
Hong Kong defends extradition law after largest protest in years
HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG) - Hong Kong's government said it would press ahead with legislation to end a ban on extraditions to mainland China, despite opponents staging one of the largest mass protests since the 2014 Occupy movement. The government said in a statement late on Sunday (April 28) that the Bill was necessary "to plug the loopholes" in laws governing the transfer of criminal suspects between the former British colony and other jurisdictions. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam is seeking to pass the legislation, which would allow for one-off deals with places including mainland China, Macau and Taiwan, before the current legislative session ends in July. "The government understands that there are different views in the community on the proposed legislative amendments," the government said. "The government hopes that the Bills Committee can start its work as soon as possible, during which we will continue to explain the legislative proposals in detail to the Legislative Council … [Read more...] about Hong Kong defends extradition law after largest protest in years