Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai remanded on fraud charge

Lai, who owns a pro-democracy newspaper, was arrested under the national security law

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrives at a court in the city in October. He was charged with fraud on December 2. AP

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was remanded in custody on Thursday after being charged with fraud, the latest in a string of prosecutions brought against high-profile democracy campaigners and critics of Beijing.

Mr Lai, 73, is the owner of Apple Daily, a pro-democracy tabloid that is fiercely critical of authorities.

Mr Lai and two of the company's executives, Royston Chow and Wong Wai-keung, face fraud charges that court documents say are related to allegations that the paper's offices are being used for purposes not permitted by the building's lease.

Police raided Apple Daily's headquarters in August and arrested several senior company figures, including Mr Lai, on suspicion of "collusion with foreign forces" under a new national security law that Beijing imposed on the city.

None of them have so far been charged with any national security breaches.

But Victor So, the magistrate overseeing Thursday's hearing, is from a group of judges selected by Hong Kong's chief executive to try such cases.

Mr So denied Mr Lai bail but granted it to Mr Wong and Mr Chow, setting the next court date for April.

The decision means Mr Lai faces months behind bars as police continue their investigation.

Opposition politicians have been disqualified and dozens of activists charged or investigated since China imposed its sweeping security law in June.

On Wednesday, three prominent young democracy campaigners, including Joshua Wong, were jailed for taking part in last year's pro-democracy protests.

Mr Lai is also being prosecuted over allegations he played a part in those rallies in a separate case.

The policy was criticised in the West and raised concerns among the millions who last year took to the streets to protest against China's tightening grip on the semi-autonomous city.

Beijing says stability and order has been restored and dismissed the demonstrations as a foreign plot to destabilise China.

Mr Lai has long said he feared that authorities wanted to close his newspaper, one of the few local outlets still willing to take on Beijing.

He is routinely cast as a traitor in Chinese state media.

"I'm prepared for prison," Mr Lai told AFP two weeks before the security law was imposed.

"I'm a troublemaker. I came here with nothing, the freedom of this place has given me everything.

"Maybe it's time I paid back for that freedom by fighting for it."

Prosecutors tried to bring cases against him in the past.

In September he was acquitted of intimidating a reporter from a pro-government newspaper.

The corruption watchdog also dropped a case against him over political donations to pro-democracy supporters after four years of investigations.

Authorities deny targeting Apple Daily or Mr Lai and say police are simply enforcing the law.