Suspect in notorious murder case to surrender himself

HONG KONG — The suspect in the murder case, which triggered the Hong Kong government to amend the city's extradition laws and then set off the ongoing unrest, on Friday said he would surrender himself to the police of Taiwan, where the alleged homicide took place.

Chan Tong-kai, 20, is due to finish his 29-month jail term for money laundering in Hong Kong as soon as Oct 23. He had admitted to killing his girlfriend in Taiwan while in police custody in Hong Kong.

In a letter to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Chan said he had decided to surrender himself to Taiwan authorities and asked for the special administrative region government to make arrangements regarding the transfer.

Chan's case reminded the government of the loopholes which exist in the city's extradition laws. The administration then moved to amend its Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance, but it failed to gain enough public support. The now-withdrawn extradition bill triggered months of protests, which morphed into anti-government riots characterized by violence and vandalism.

The government on Friday night confirmed Chan's request. It said in a statement that the Hong Kong Police Force had relayed Chan's decision to surrender himself to Taiwan's criminal investigation bureau. It also said the government would provide the necessary and legally feasible assistance to Taiwan on the matter.

Chan, a Hong Kong resident, allegedly murdered his pregnant girlfriend in February 2018. He was arrested by Hong Kong police after fleeing Taiwan, and convicted of money laundering after stealing money from his girlfriend's bank accounts.

Taiwan authorities issued a warrant for Chan in December 2018, with a 30-year statute of limitations.

The Hong Kong government proposed amending its extradition laws in March to allow the city to surrender fugitive offenders to jurisdictions with which it does not have extradition arrangements on a case-by-case basis.

In Friday's statement, the SAR government noted that the courts of Hong Kong have no jurisdiction over Chan's alleged offense in Taiwan, and the local authorities have no grounds to extend Chan's imprisonment or to pursue the case.