Former lawmaker Ted Hui’s bank accounts frozen, then later unexpectedly released as Hong Kong police probe possible embezzlement, national security law violations
- Police obtain search warrant for accounts belonging to the former opposition lawmaker and his family at three banks
- Police commissioner Chris Tang accuses Hui, charged with several criminal offences, of lacking a conscience after fleeing overseas
Hong Kong police said on Sunday they were investigating whether fugitive former lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung violated the national security law or laundered money with a crowdfunding campaign and had frozen HK$$850,000 (US$109,660) in accounts belonging to him and his family.
But hours later Hui said holds on his family accounts were taken off and his personal accounts also partially released, while also taking aim at the city’s most prominent lender.
“Due to the family’s complete distrust of HSBC in Hong Kong, we have immediately transferred the savings to a safe place,” he said in a Facebook post at about 10pm.
He condemned the banks involved for what he called succumbing to political pressure by arbitrarily freezing assets under the sweeping national security law.
Sources told the Post that police approached HSBC, Hang Seng Bank and Bank of China with search warrants and asked them to suspend certain services – including Hui’s personal HSBC account. A Hang Seng account belonged to a relative.
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Former Hong Kong opposition lawmaker Ted Hui seeking exile in the UK
However, the parents’ account with HSBC was not involved in the inquiry and had been functioning throughout while Hui’s personal account indeed had certain functions frozen, according to the insiders.