German shipping company sues Hong Kong’s shuttered Apple Daily newspaper for failure to collect newsprint shipment
Hong Kong Free Press
A German shipping company is suing the now-defunct pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper for failing to collect 471 rolls of newsprint shipped to Hong Kong three years ago.
Apple Daily was forced to shut down in June 2021 following police raids and authorities freezing HK$18 million of its assets over national security allegations. Its founder Jimmy Lai and three companies linked to the newspaper are standing trial on conspiracy charges of colluding with foreign forces and publishing “seditious” materials.
German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd on Wednesday asked Hong Kong’s High Court to order the shuttered newspaper to pay for losses incurred from shipment retention, storage, transportation, and other costs.
According to local media reports, a writ listed Hapag-Lloyd Aktiengesellschaft and Hapag-Lloyd (China) as the plaintiffs and Apple Daily Limited and Resolute FP US Inc, a Canadian paper maker, as the defendants.
The writ said Hapag-Lloyd received the order from Apple Daily on May 6, 2021, to ship 11 containers holding 471 rolls of newsprint from Montreal in Canada to Hong Kong.
But the shipment was uncollected and had been stored at the New Keen Depot, a storage facility in Tsing Yi, since its arrival in July that year.
The plaintiffs asked the court to allow the resale or disposal of the shipment and grant them relevant expenses, but did not specify an amount in the writ.
Apple Daily is currently in the process of winding-up after the city’s finance chief Paul Chan asked the High Court to liquidate the company, citing the “public interest.” Court proceedings involving ex-employees with salaries in arrears are also underway at the High Court, with the next hearing set for November.
Founder Lai is also set to take the witness stand in his national security trial in November, when the hearing is scheduled to resume.
Lai, 76, stands accused of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed security law, and one count of conspiracy to publish “seditious” materials under a colonial-era law. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
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