Former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying files libel suit against university professor and online media outlet

Former leader announces libel suit in Facebook post with links to solicitors’ letters addressed to two defendants: Polytechnic University assistant professor Chung Kim-wah and Best Pencil

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Former chief executive of Hong Kong, Leung Chun-ying, has a history of threatening and filing defamation suits against the media and his critics. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 9:45pm, 24 Aug 2018Updated: 2:01am, 25 Aug 2018

Former Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying is suing a university professor and a non-profit online media outlet for libel over a commentary rebutting his attack on the city’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club for hosting a speech by an independence activist.

The former leader announced his libel suit in a Facebook post with links to his solicitors’ letters addressed to the defendants – Polytechnic University assistant professor Chung Kim-wah and Best Pencil (Hong Kong), which operates online media portal Stand News.

Attached was a warning: “Those who disregard the truth to wound others should be legally sanctioned.”

But Stand News chief editor Chung Pui-kuen said: “Leung Chun-ying, as an influential Hong Kong political figure, should stop trying to silence commentators and the media by mounting lawsuits so easily.”

Leung Chun-ying had launched an attack on the Foreign Correspondents’ Club over its hosting of a speech by independence advocate Andy Chan. Photo: Edward Wong

His response was echoed by the academic, who suggested Leung might be using him as an example to frighten other critics.