HONG KONG ¨C Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai¡¯s fraud conviction and prison sentence were overturned by a Hong Kong court on Thursday, in a surprise legal decision that comes soon after Lai was jailed for 20 years on a separate national security charge.
Judges Jeremy Poon, Anthea Pang, and Derek Pang said in the judgement that they allowed the appeal from Lai, and another defendant in the case, to proceed, as a lower court judge had ¡°erred.¡± ¡°The Court of Appeal gave them leave to appeal against their conviction, allowed their appeals, quashed the convictions and set aside the sentences,¡± the judges wrote in a press summary of their judgement.
Even with the quashing of the fraud conviction and sentence, Lai will still remain imprisoned for 20 years in a separate national security case over two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one for publishing seditious materials.
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