Hong Kong’s justice department rejects ‘despicable’ claims targeting prosecutors

Department says fugitive activist’s claims that prosecutors abused their positions for private ends are ‘fabricated’

Hong Kong’s justice department has rejected online accusations about the newly promoted public prosecutions director and a colleague, labelling the allegations “despicable behaviour” and an attempt to “defame public officers”.

In a statement on Saturday, the department said it had referred the case to law enforcement agencies for further investigation, vowing to “severely punish lawbreakers in accordance with the law”.

US-based Hong Kong fugitive activist Frances Hui Wing-ting has accused the two prosecutors – both of whom have handled national security cases – of abusing their positions for private ends.

Hui also accused their former boss of siding with them.

Hui, who fled the city in 2020 and was granted political asylum in the United States in 2022, is among the activists with HK$1 million (US$127,620) bounties on their heads for allegedly violating the Beijing-imposed national security law in Hong Kong.

She is wanted on suspicion of colluding with a foreign country to endanger national security. Police have accused her of repeatedly calling on countries to impose sanctions and blockades against China.

She now serves as a policy and advocacy coordinator at the Washington-based Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, which city authorities have described as “anti-China”.