HONG KONG -- The High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Wednesday ordered the winding up of Next Digital Ltd., a company controlled by Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, an instigator of Hong Kong riots.

The court's move came after Paul Chan, financial secretary of the HKSAR government, presented a petition to the Court of First Instance to wind up the company earlier this year.

Chan appointed an inspector in July to investigate the affairs of Next Digital. He said in September that after reviewing an interim report, it was decided that it is expedient in the public interest for the company to be wound up, and thus presented the petition.

All the shares of Next Digital held by Lai and the property in the local bank accounts of three companies owned by him were frozen in May. Five executives of Next Digital and Apple Daily owned by the company were arrested in June by the national security department of Hong Kong police.