This archive report was first published on 23 October 2019.
Hong Kong Frees Murder Suspect ¶
On Wednesday, Chan Tong-kai, a 20-year-old Hong Kong resident, was released from Pik Uk Prison after serving a sentence for money laundering. Chan had been serving a 29-month sentence for money laundering over possession of valuables that had belonged to his girlfriend, Poon Hiu-wing.
Chan's case has been at the center of Hong Kong's ongoing protests, which began with protests against an extradition bill meant to ensure his prosecution on murder charges in Taiwan.
Chan had traveled with Poon to Taiwan in February 2018, but returned alone. He later told the Hong Kong police that he had strangled Poon, put her body in a suitcase and hid it in some bushes. Investigators found her body near a subway station in northern Taiwan.
Chan's release comes after he said he would surrender himself to Taiwan, where he is wanted for killing his girlfriend. However, the self-governing island and Hong Kong are arguing over the terms of his surrender, with Taiwan questioning whether Hong Kong would provide enough assistance to prosecute Chan.
According to Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, Hong Kong officials have said they would actively cooperate with Taiwan's request for evidence, but also stated that there is no law for cooperating with Taiwan on criminal justice. Taiwan has questioned how Hong Kong can provide assistance to prosecute Chan under these circumstances.
President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan has urged Hong Kong to look for ways to prosecute Chan itself, or provide all necessary evidence and cooperation should he be sent to Taiwan. Han Kuo-yu, the presidential candidate of Taiwan's opposition party, the Kuomintang, has criticized the stance of Tsai's government, saying the result would be 'too horrible to contemplate' if Chan were not allowed to surrender to the Taiwan authorities.
