Hong Kong independent outlet InMedia fined HK$10,000 after being reported for not keeping registers at office
Hong Kong Free Press
Independent Hong Kong media outlet InMedia has been fined HK$10,000 over not keeping registers of its members and directors at its Wan Chai office.
InMedia was charged with two offences under the Companies Ordinance after the Companies Registry received a report on August 23 that it did not keep the relevant registers at its office in Wan Chai, InMedia reported citing court details.
Damon Wong, the editor-in-chief and director of InMedia, appeared at the Eastern Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, pleading guilty to both offences. He said that while the company had both registers, it forgot to keep the register of members and register of directors separately.
During mitigation, Wong said InMedia was a small-scale non-profit media outlet that served the public interest. He added that the company’s directors had not received bonuses for many years as the company suffered losses of HK$300,000.
Magistrate Chu Chung Keung fined the media outlet HK$10,000.
According to the Companies Ordinance, Hong Kong’s companies must keep their significant controllers’ register, members’ register, and directors’ register in their registered office or a prescribed place. Any company that fails to do so could be fined up to HK$25,000, and fined an additional HK$700 per day if the offence continued.
Established in 2014, InMedia is Hong Kong’s oldest independent media outlet and one of few remaining such outlets in the city following the imposition of security laws that have triggered a decline in freedom of the press.
Hong Kong has plummeted in international press freedom indices since the onset of the security law. Watchdogs cite the arrest of journalists, raids on newsrooms and the closure of around 10 media outlets including Apple Daily, Stand News and Citizen News. Over 1,000 journalists have lost their jobs, whilst many have emigrated. Meanwhile, the city’s government-funded broadcaster RTHK has adopted new editorial guidelines, purged its archives and axed news and satirical shows.
See also: Explainer: Hong Kong’s press freedom under the national security law
In 2022, Chief Executive John Lee said press freedom was “in the pocket” of Hongkongers but “nobody is above the law.” Although he has told the press to “tell a good Hong Kong story,” government departments have been reluctant to respond to story pitches.
Independent publisher fined
Earlier in October, independent publisher Bbluesky was fined HK$16,000 for failing to keep registers at its office in Kwun Tong, Ming Pao reported.
Officers of the Companies Registry inspected Bbluesky on May 8 after receiving a report, and found that registers were not kept at the publisher’s office.
Founded in 2000, Bbluesky has published multiple titles linked to Hong Kong’s politics. During the Hong Kong Book Fair hosted in July, the publisher was told by the event organiser that it should remove five titles from its shelves.
Three of the books were written by veteran journalist Allan Au:Turbulence, a travelogue; The Last Faith, which discusses media ethics; and 2047 Nights, a collection of essays. The remaining two were by convicted former pro-democracy lawmaker Shiu Ka-chun, both of which recounted his time in prison five years ago.
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