【新唐人2014年08月30日訊】香港公民爭真普選的「和平佔中」行動8月31號將啟動，週四早上，香港廉政公署突然搜查「壹傳媒集團」主席黎智英、工黨主席李卓人等三人的寓所，調查黎智英向工黨的捐款有否觸犯《防止賄賂條例》。由於黎智英一向支持香港「佔中」行動，之前曾捐錢給李卓人等人。廉署在此敏感時刻高調出手，被輿論認為是政治迫害。

「壹傳媒」旗下的《蘋果日報》8月29號報導說，28號早晨7點，香港廉政公署人員前往「壹傳媒集團」主席黎智英寓所，隨後，多名律師和大批傳媒收到消息到場。廉署人員逗留四小時後離開，沒帶走任何人。

黎智英助手Mark Simon的寓所也被搜查，廉署人員在他的住所逗留3小時，搜查所有電腦，但沒有帶走任何文件，只帶走他女兒一部有密碼不能開啟的電腦。

廉署人員早上7點半還到了工黨主席李卓人的住所，10點左右，又到他位於立法會大樓的辦公室搜查，從兩地取走了一些文件及銀行戶口資料。

報導說，這次事件起因，是「壹傳媒」電腦系統早前被黑客攻擊，黎智英大量私人文件被盜走。 7月底，自稱「壹傳媒股民」的神秘人物，將近千份被盜資料向網絡和傳媒公布，說黎智英向泛民捐款4千萬元。而工黨獲得150萬元捐款。

廉署人員出示給李卓人的搜查令顯示，他們是要調查黎智英向工黨捐款，和今年1月22號，立法會捍衞傳媒編輯自主的辯論是否有關。

李卓人強調，他當時在立法會發言時，除了談到《蘋果日報》廣告被抽，也提到《am730》廣告被抽，以及《明報》前總編劉進圖遇襲事件。

香港工黨主席李卓人：「我們都是有非常之捍衛新聞自由的立場，是非常非常鮮明，長期以來，我想大家都會覺得，做捐款和我們的新聞自由怎麼會扯上關係？」

香港《信報》曾報導說， 8月初李卓人接受採訪時，形容黎智英是「特別的生意人」，雖然支持泛民，但從不干預政黨事務。不過李卓人承認，黎智英是整個泛民單一的最大捐款來源，去年先後共收下黎智英兩筆共150萬元的捐款。

壹傳媒集團主席黎智英：「我本著自己的能力，盡量去推動香港我覺得他對社會有益的人，好多人覺得我做的事亂港，甚麼都好，他想講甚麼講甚麼，不過，我捐的錢我是支持泛民，我真是支持泛民而己。」

黎智英表示，自己的每一分錢都是做生意正當賺來的，未來還會繼續向泛民主派捐款。

前香港廉署總調查主任大律師 查錫我：「你將他（李卓人）連繫上發表維護新聞自由，這件事是香港的核心價值，個個都要講啦。你怎麼能讓兩件事連上關係？何況李卓著人當初的辯解，款項不是由他接受，而是代人（工黨）持有。」

對於廉署的行動，輿論紛紛認為是政治迫害。有熟知廉署調查手法的泛民成員認為，這次廉署的做法，相信是要配合北京打壓「佔中」，阻止泛民否決政改的部署。

香港多份媒體披露，27號，中共人大常委，拍板決定了一個所謂的「普選」草案，全面封殺民主派候選人。「和平佔中」發起人戴耀廷表示，所謂的「普選」，真相令人絕望，因此宣佈泛民8月31號，在人大常委會正式關上大門之後，當晚在政府總部集會，啟動佔中。

學聯副秘書長岑敖暉也表示，中央的「關閘」方案，把港人過去30年爭取民主的希望毀盡，學聯最快9月中旬全面罷課。

面對香港即將出現的和平佔中活動，中共常委、「港澳工作協調小組」組長的張德江宣稱，中共已經有「思想上的準備」。

去年7月，駐港部隊在槍會山軍營，用盾牌、木棍進行防暴演習鎮壓「佔中」；8月23號，有網友在緊連香港的深圳南山區，拍到疑似駐港部隊演練鎮壓群體事件的畫面。

記者編輯/李韻 後製/肖顏

Hong Kong Media: Sudden Search of Jimmy Lai’s Home “Political Persecution”

The peaceful Occupy Central movement, fighting for universal suffrage of Hong Kong, will start on Aug 31. This Thursday morning, Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) suddenly visited three homes, including that of Jimmy Lai, the owner of Next Media, and Lee Cheuk-yan, Labor party chairman. The move claimed to investigate whether Lai’s donation to the Labor party violated bribery law.

Lai is a firm supporter of the Occupy Central movement, and has made donations to Lee Cheuk-yan and others. The high-profile move by the ICAC was made at such a critical moment, and was thus described as “political persecution” in media reports.

A number of lawyers and media workers also arrived at Lai’s home after they learned about the news. ICAC officers stayed for four hours and did not take away anyone.

The home of Mark Simon, Lai’s assistant, was also searched by the ICAC. ICAC officers stayed at Simon’s home for three hours, searching all computers but did not take away any files. They only took a computer of Simon’s daughter, which was protected by password.

Later at about 10am, they visited his office located inside the Legislative Council. Some files and bank account records were taken away.

The report said, the incident was the aftermath of a hacking attack against Next Media’s computer system. A large number of Jimmy Lai’s private files were stolen.

At the end of July, a mysterious person calling himself “Next Media’s shareholder”, released thousands of stolen files to the public.

That person said, Lai had donated 40 million HKD ($5.2 M) to pro-democracy groups, and the Labor party obtained 1.5 million HKD ($190,000).

According to the search warrant that ICAC officers showed to Lee Cheuk-yan, the search was directed against Lai’s donation to the Labor party, investigating whether the donation is related to the Jan 22 debate on press freedom in the Legislative Council.

Lee Cheuk-yan said, in his speech at the council, he not only mentioned Apple Daily but also Radio AM730 about how their major clients suddenly canceled advertisements.

Lee also talked about the knife attack against Lau Chun-to, Ming Pao’s former editor-in-chief.

Lee Cheuk-yan, Chairman of Labor Party: “For a long time, we always had a very, very clear attitude of protecting Hong Kong’s press freedom.

Probably most of us don’t understand how donations can be related to press freedom?”

A Hong Kong Economic Journal’s report said, Lee Cheuk-yan described Jimmy Lai as a “special businessman” in an interview in early August, saying Lai supported democracy groups but never interfered with political affairs.

Lee also admitted that Lai is the biggest individual donor to pro-democracy groups. In 2013, his party had received two donations totaling 1.5 million HKD from Lai.

Jimmy Lai, president of Next Media Group: ”I do my best to support those I believe do the right thing for Hong Kong. Many people say I am disturbing Hong Kong’s peace. They can say whatever they want to say. However, my donations are simply to support pro-democracy groups. I really just want to support them.”

Lai said he earned every cent rightfully through his business, and he would continue to donate to pro-democracy groups in the future.

Stephen Char, former ICAC chief investigator: “They connect donations with protecting press freedom, but that is one of Hong Kong’s core values that anyone can talk about.”

How can you link those two things?

Furthermore, Lee had defended himself that he was only the representative of Labor Party to receive the money.”

ICAC’s sudden move was widely labeled as political persecution in media reports. A Pro-democracy group member, who is familiar with ICAC’s working style, said that was probably a cooperative move with Beijing’s suppression against the Occupy Central movement, in order to stop pro-democracy groups from resisting Beijing’s plan.

On Aug 27, the CCP’s National People’s Congress (NPC) announced the draft on so-called “universal suffrage” for Hong Kong’s Chief Executive.

The plan will force out all candidates from pro-democracy groups. Tai Yiu Ting, promoter of the Occupy Central, said the CCP’s so-called “universal suffrage” plan is hopeless. He announced that when the NPC makes the final decision on Aug 31, the democracy groups will gather in front of Hong Kong government and start the Occupy Central movement.

Lester Shum, vice president of Hong Kong Federation of Students, said the CCP’s plan will completely destroy all Hong Kong people’s efforts toward democracy in the past 30 years. The federation will start an overall strike no sooner than mid-September.

Zhang Dejiang, the CCP’s Politburo Standing Committee member in charge of Hong Kong affairs, had claimed that the party “is mentally prepared” for the upcoming Occupy Central movement.

Last July, the CCP’s militaries carried out drills at Gun Club Hill Barracks of suppressing Central occupiers with shields and clubs.

On Aug 23, netizens took photos in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District that seemingly captured a drill of suppressing massive protest by the CCP’s troops stationed in Hong Kong.

Interview & Edit/LiYun Post-Production/XiaoYan