False: No arrest at CK Hutchison has been reported over Panama ports deal
A screenshot of a Facebook post claiming to show a police raid and arrests of directors at CK Hutchison Holdings Limited headquarters began circulating online on March 28.
The post, accompanied by a photo showing uniformed police officers in a commercial building lobby, alleged that Hong Kong National Security police were set to raid CK Hutchison’s headquarters and arrest its directors due to billionaire Li Ka-shing’s insistence on selling the Panama Canal port assets.
Two tweets (here and here) sharing the screenshot have gained over 420 likes. Annie Lab traced the likely origin of the claim to a local Facebook group post, which has since been deleted. The post sparked mixed reactions online, with some users dismissing it as misinformation.
As of this writing, we found no credible news reports or records of police operations linked to the claim. We also contacted the police department for clarification and await their response. Meanwhile, we can confirm that the screenshot image is a photo from a National Security police raid on Apple Daily headquarters on June 17, 2021.
At the time, this image was distributed globally through news wire services such as the Associated Press. Many news reports covering the raid used it (for example, here, here and here (archived here, here and here).
CK Hutchison announced its plan in early March to sell ports at both ends of the Panama Canal to a consortium led by American investment firm Blackrock for a reported US$19 billion.
The deal has drawn scrutiny from Beijing and Hong Kong authorities over national security concerns.
On March 28, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation stated it would investigate the deal.
While April 2 was initially suggested as a possible signing date, no new developments have been announced.
