Lawyers for Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai suggest police ‘coached’ key prosecution witness before testimony

Defence counsel seeking further information on police contact with former Apple Daily publisher Cheung Kim-hung
Judge says request only helpful to defence case if Cheung shown to have fabricated evidence under duress during prison visits by police

Jimmy Lai trial

Brian Wong

Published: 4:00pm, 17 May 2024

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Lawyers for Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying have suggested police “coached” a key prosecution witness before his testimony in the mogul’s national security trial.

West Kowloon Court heard the claim on Friday as Lai’s defence counsel sought further information on police contact with former Apple Daily tabloid publisher Cheung Kim-hung after he was charged and remanded in custody under the Beijing-imposed national security law.

Madam Justice Esther Toh Lye-ping, one of a trio of judges hearing the trial, questioned the move to request prison visit records and said it would not help the defence unless Cheung was shown to have fabricated his evidence under duress.

The trial was adjourned until Monday to allow for the prosecution to ascertain whether it was in possession of any relevant records.

The court earlier heard Cheung, who has been detained since June 2021, offered to turn prosecution witness a day after a meeting detective station Sergeant Lai Kwok-yung on November 11, 2021.

The sergeant from police’s national security department testified he was originally tasked with the delivery of a court judgment in relation to Cheung’s failed bid for bail, but his meeting with the detainee turned into a discussion on “daily matters” that lasted more than three hours.

The officer previously denied a defence assertion that the true purpose of the meeting was to convince Cheung to turn against his former boss Lai.

Lai, 76, has denied two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces as well as a third count of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.

The Apple Daily founder allegedly used the now-defunct tabloid to instigate international sanctions and excite public disaffection towards the local government.

Lai was also said to have provided financial assistance to the “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” (SWHK) lobbying group to trigger China’s political and economic collapse.

The police presence has been heavy outside West Kowloon Court. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

The mogul’s legal team on Friday also questioned sergeant Lai’s involvement in taking witness statements from paralegal Wayland Chan Tsz-wah, a former SWHK member, after the latter agreed to help the prosecution.

The officer said he had visited Chan behind bars on 14 separate occasions between August and November 9 of 2022 after the latter pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to collude with foreign forces.

The defence drew the court’s attention to one meeting dated November 9 that year, of which no written records were found.

The sergeant only confirmed the discussion that day was confidential.

He added that a detective sergeant from the same department took a six-page statement from Chan the next day.

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