Home 
Viewpoints Evening Standard Apologises to Chinatown Restaurant
Viewpoints Evening Standard Apologises to Chinatown Restaurant | Evening Standard Apologises to Chinatown Restaurant |
|
|
|
| Viewpoints | |
|
Todd Tran The Evening Standard openly apologises to Wong Kei Restaurant for publishing false accusations in an article in a feature article in October. The apology was heard in an open court reading on Thursday, 9 December and published today, Friday 10 December in the Evening Standard. In the contentious October feature, titled 'Chinatown Exposed,' the Evening Standard disclosed that they had placed an undercover reporter, Ian Lee, to work in Wong Kei restaurant. Lee wrote that Wong Kei employed him eventhough he did not have a work permit. Lee also claimed the restaurant exploited illegal workers by paying £3 per hour, well under the minimum wage. Additionally, Lee alledged that the restaurant had filthy kitchen in the basement that broke Health Department codes. After the article was published, Wong Kei file a libel suit against the Evening Standard. Wong Kei stated that in fact, Lee never worked at Wong Kei and he stated false claims in the article. Wong Kei's kitchen is on the 4th floor, not the basement. When the Health Department read the article, the following day a representative visited Wong Kei and gave the restaurant a passing grade for cleansiness and meeting health codes. The Evening Standard immediately admitted wrongdoing, agreed to pay for legal fees and damages, and agreed to publish an apology in the newspaper. Wong Kei also asked for an open court reading because it felt that the public had to hear about this wrongdoing and that 'the whole of Chinatown, not just Wong Kei, is cleared of such claims,' stated Lok Tin Fung, manager of Wong Kei. Jabez Lam of Min Quan, a British-Chinese civil rights organisation, stated,'This is a victory not just for Wong Kei, but all of the Chinese community.' Lee apparently has disappeared and cannot be found. |
|
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
