Exclusive | Fears of ‘invisible hands’ as figures show slump in Hong Kong’s cooperation on transfer of foreign fugitives
Critics say a lack of legal cooperation with other jurisdictions has been laid bare by recent high-profile cases involving those fleeing justice, and some experts believe a lax approach and opaque procedures are there for a reason
In terms of attracting eyeballs, it was pure news gold.
Police in the city of Jinhua in Zhejiang province had snared a fugitive from a concert crowd of 50,000, thanks to the wonders of facial recognition technology and artificial intelligence. The snatch job had been carried out at a show by Jacky Cheung Hok-yau, one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Hong Kong’s music scene.
The arrest was one of a number in May and June at Cheung’s concerts across the country, and saw social media users dub the singer the “fugitive catcher”.
But the fate awaiting these suspects would be very different had they managed to make their way inside the borders of the country’s two special administrative regions, which are separate jurisdictions. Though their legal systems are much admired, recent events and trends in Hong Kong and Macau surrounding the discovery, capture and return of those on the run have highlighted what appears to be a veil being draped over due process in the handling of foreign criminals.
In the case of Hong Kong particularly, questions have arisen about the workings and number of bilateral agreements with other jurisdictions on the surrender of fugitives and matters of mutual legal assistance.
The number of fugitives from justice either surrendered to or by Hong Kong under international treaties has slumped significantly over the two decades since the city returned to Chinese sovereignty, the Post has found.
