Cardinal Joseph Tran Nhat Quan, former Bishop of the Diocese of Hong Kong, and five other defendants, were fined by a Hong Kong court for "failing to properly register a charity fund of which they are authorized administrators. Commission".
G. Tran Duc Anh, OP | RVA
The 612 Foundation is a Humanitarian Aid Fund, helping to pay medical and legal costs for people detained by the Hong Kong government in 2019. The fund ceased operations from October 2021. Cardinal Tran Nhat Quan 90 years old, and 5 other defendants were arrested in May this year, including lawyer Ngo Ai Nghi (Margaret Ng Ngoi-Yee), professor Hua Bao Cuong (Hui Po-Keung) and a freelance singer. Denise Ha Van Thi (Ho Wan-see). Each was fined 4,000 Hong Kong dollars, equivalent to 512 US dollars. The sixth defendant, Sze Ching-wee, secretary of the 612 foundation, was fined HK$2,500, or US$320.
In the court hearing on November 25 in the West Kowloon area, Judge Ada Yim made the above ruling and said: The 612 Foundation is considered an organization with a duty to register because it is not purely targeted. For charitable purposes, therefore, it is necessary to comply with the Law on Associations, which requires local organizations to register or apply for an exemption from registration within one month of their establishment. Those who fail to do so will be fined up to HK$10,000, or about US$1,273.
Asia News reported that Judge Ada Yim recommended three levels of punishment, depending on the role of the accused. But Cardinal Tran Nhat Quan refused to receive a lighter sentence. He told lawyer Ngo Ai Nghi: “We are all on the same level” and “should not stress too much about religious identity.”
Lawyer Ngo told reporters after hearing the verdict: “This judgment has an effect on other people, when they band together to do this for each other. This judgment is also very important regarding freedom of assembly in Hong Kong under the law on associations.”
Hong Kong police arrested Cardinal Tran Nhat Quan and five others in mid-May of this year and charged him with a much more serious crime, that of "collaborating with foreign forces", violating the law. strict rules imposed by the Beijing government on Hong Kong in the summer of 2020. However, the court did not try the defendants for this crime.
(Asia News 25-11-2022)