CH INNOVATION (01217) has announced a significant legal victory, with Hong Kong's Court of First Instance ruling in its favor regarding a series of defamatory articles published by Apple Daily.

The company's board confirmed that on August 18, 2026, the court delivered its judgment on the lawsuit filed against Apple Daily publications. The legal action was initiated in response to multiple defamatory articles published on and after November 23, 2019, which targeted the company, its board chairman Mr. Xiang Xin, and his alternate director Ms. Gong Qing.

The court found the first defendant, Apple Daily Ltd, and the second defendant, Apple Internet Ltd, liable for defamation. These entities had published ten articles between November and December 2019 containing false and malicious allegations, including claims that the company operated as an intelligence agency and that Mr. Xiang and Ms. Gong were intelligence officers or agents engaged in deceptive or illegal activities in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas.

As a result of the ruling, the defendants must pay combined damages of HK$1.5 million plus related interest, and bear all legal costs associated with the case. The plaintiffs had already reached a settlement with the third defendant, Mr. Luo Weiguang. Additionally, the plaintiffs decided not to pursue claims against the fourth to seventh defendants, including TheAge Company Pty Ltd, Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd, Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd, and Wang Liqiang, due to the inability to complete service of court documents.

The board stated that this judgment demonstrates the integrity of the judicial system, clears the names of the company, Mr. Xiang, and Ms. Gong, and effectively corrects the reputational damage caused by the false news reports.