A German shipping company has sued the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily for failing to pick up 471 rolls of newsprint sent to Hong Kong three years ago.
Apple Daily was forced to close in June 2021 after police raids and the freezing of HK$18 million in assets by authorities over allegations of violating national security. Its founder Jimmy Lai and three companies linked to the newspaper are on trial on charges of colluding with foreign powers and publishing “subversive” material.
German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd on Wednesday asked the Hong Kong High Court to order the shuttered newspaper to pay damages for delays in cargo, storage, transportation and other costs.
According to local media reports, the lawsuit names Hapag-Lloyd Aktiengesellschaft and Hapag-Lloyd (China) as plaintiffs, and Apple Daily Limited and Canadian paper maker Resolute FP US Inc. as defendants.
The lawsuit stated that on May 6, 2021, Hapag-Lloyd received an order from Apple Daily to ship 11 containers containing 471 rolls of newsprint from Montreal, Canada to Hong Kong.
However, the cargo was never received and was stored at the New Keen Depot in Qingyi since its arrival in July of that year.
The plaintiffs asked the court to allow the resale or alienation of the cargo and to reimburse them for the corresponding expenses, but did not indicate the exact amount in the claim.
Apple Daily is currently in liquidation after City CFO Paul Chan applied to the High Court to wind up the company, citing “public interest”. The High Court is also facing legal proceedings against former employees owed back wages, with The next hearing is scheduled for November..
Founder Lai is also planning to take the witness stand at the national security trial in November, when hearings are scheduled to resume.
Lai, 76, accused of two counts of conspiring to conspire with foreign forces under Beijing's security law and one count of conspiring to publish “subversive” material according to the law of the colonial eraIf found guilty, he faces life imprisonment.
HKFP support | Politics and Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact us | Newsletter | Transparency and annual reporting | Applications
Help protect press freedom and keep HKFP free for all readers support our team
Source link