Taiwan issues arrest warrant for HK youth suspected of murder

December 04, 2018 13:02

Chan Tong-kai (R) seen in a photo with Poon Hiu-wing before the latter’s death. Taiwan authorities are urging Hong Kong to extradite Chan so that he can stand trial for the suspected murder of his girlfriend in Taipei earlier this year. Photo: Internet

Taiwan authorities have issued a warrant of arrest for a Hong Kong man who has been suspected of murdering his girlfriend during a trip to the island in February this year.

Issuing the warrant, the Shilin District Prosecutors Office asked Taiwan's Ministry of Justice to seek assistance, via the island's Mainland Affairs Council, from the Hong Kong government to help bring the accused back to Taiwan to stand trial in a local court, the Hong Kong Economic Journal reports.

The case pertains to Chan Tong-kai, 19, who is alleged to have murdered his girlfriend and dumped her body before fleeing to Hong Kong.

Chan, an associate degree student from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and his girlfriend Poon Hiu-wing, 20, a student at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, went to Taiwan on Feb. 7 for a 10-day trip.

As Chan returned to Hong Kong alone on Feb. 17 without Poon and there was no word from the girl, her father asked Taiwan police for help in March.

Several days later, on March 13, Poon’s body, badly decomposed, was discovered in bushes near Taipei Metro's Zhuwei station, on the outskirts of the city.

Chan was arrested by Hong Kong police on March 14 for two counts of theft and one count of handling stolen goods after he confessed using Poon’s ATM card to withdraw NT$20,000 (US$683) in Taiwan on Feb. 17 and HK$8,500 (US$1,084) in Hong Kong on Feb. 20.

During interrogation by police, he allegedly admitted strangling his girlfriend and stuffing her body in a suitcase and dumping it.

But Chan’s charges were amended by prosecutors in Hong Kong in August. He then faced several money laundering charges, and three alternative charges of theft.

Taiwan authorities had asked Hong Kong to extradite Chan, but that has not happened so far, as there is no formal extradition agreement between Taiwan and Hong Kong.

According to the Taiwan Prosecutors Office, it asked for mutual legal assistance three times in the past six months from the Hong Kong government with respect to the case but received no response at all.

Calling on the Hong Kong government to answer its request for extradition as the matter pertains to a serious crime, the Taiwan agency pointed out that it is also the wish of the victim’s father that justice must be done.

– Contact us at [email protected]

TL/JC/RC

Hong Kong

On three misconceptions about the LGBTQIA+ community Brian YS Wong

The District Council’s collective decision of endorsing the Pride Parade (as part of the wider Pride Month celebrations of LGBTQIA+ diversity) has drawn substantial ire from many, with conservative

Another option for HK SMEs seeking govt support to digitise Kevin Fitzgerald

The Hong Kong Government’s D-Biz Programme has been highly sought after as businesses now understand the importance of taking innovative, digital approaches to keep things up and running during the

End of Hong Kong as we know it Michael Chugani

On a stormy morning on July 1 1997 I awoke with a heavy heart mixed with hope. Just hours earlier, at the stroke of midnight, the city where I was born had passed from colonial to communist rule.

A big PR deal Hong Kong doesn’t need Ben Kwok

Finally, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was able to secure the services of a public relations firm to help rebuild the city’s shattered international image. You will recall that her

Beijing’s best shot - we are as vile as you Stephen Vines

If your best argument is not that what you are doing is right but that what others do is even worse, it is safe to conclude that you have a problem. Yet here we are as Beijing furiously mobilises all