A Hong Kong radio talk show host arrested for alleged sedition charges had been denied bail In March due to his “close ties” with organizations in Taiwan, according to the judge.

Edmund Wan, also known as “Giggs” in his radio show on D100 Radio, has been charged with four counts of committing “an act with a seditious intent” under the Crimes Ordinance.

Handing down her reasons of decision on Thursday, Court of First Instance judge Esther Toh wrote: “The temptation of absconding is extremely high, particularly in view of the fact that the applicant appears to be well connected to various organizations in Taiwan.”

Wan’s lawyer argued that the charges were under the Crimes Ordinance and not the national security law, and that there was no evidence that Wan would continue to commit crimes against national security if granted bail. But Toh believes the evidence “appears strong and the charges are very serious” and there is a high chance of Wan fleeing the country if allowed bail. She also specifically mentioned Wan’s “close ties” with the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan and Judicial Reform Foundation in Taiwan.

Wan was arrested in November 2020 on other charges and was released on police bail, before being re-arrested on Feb. 7 for the sedition charges. He was denied bail in 25 March this year.

He is accused of using his radio show to call for foreign governments to impose sanctions against Hong Kong officials, and for encouraging listeners to participate in an unauthorized assembly in September 2020 to protest against the postponement of the Legislative Council elections. Wan is also accused of “degrading the national flag” and for criticizing the Chinese government for depriving its people of human rights and for “reigning in terror.”

Wan had advocated for donations in his talk show, collecting around HK$13 million (US$1.67 million). The courts said around HK$9 million (US$1.16 million) was routed into Wan’s personal accounts, then remitted to Taiwan, with evidence that some of it was given to individuals who fled Hong Kong or had jumped court bail.

The prosecution also said that Wan’s fundraising scheme was to ultimately contribute to the overthrowing of the Chinese Communist Party.

Wan also received an additional money laundering charge on Monday.

Separately, in the cases of the 47 pro-democratic figures facing national security law charges, 11 people were allowed bail while others were kept in detention, awaiting trial. Former lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung and activist Jimmy Sham both had their bail applications rejected in the High Court.

Judge Toh said in her written judgement that while Sham had said that he did not support Hong Kong independence nor did he collude with foreign powers, he had yelled out a popular protest slogan “five demands, not one less!” while reporting to the police station in February this year. That proved that he was a “determined young person.”Toh said Leung was a seasoned politician and activist with visibility in the international arena, which meant chances of him “committing the same offenses” were high. She said there were not enough reasons to convince the court that the two would refrain from doing anything that could “endanger national security,” which is why their bail was rejected.

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