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Brian Wong

Former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has admitted to pushing for an unofficial legislative “primary” election to be held five years ago, with his efforts extending to obtaining a quote for vote-counting software and advising on the best timing to hold the poll.
Lai said on Wednesday he was not involved in the poll’s organisation, but conceded that he “did not tell the truth” when he previously told his marathon trial he was “not conscious” of a plan for the election to be held in the hope of securing a controlling majority for opposition politicians in the Legislative Council.
A court has found the primary formed part of a plot to overthrow the government.
The founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid newspaper agreed he had asked traditional opposition leaders to keep him informed about the unofficial poll and pushed organisers to speed up preparations.
Lai also said he had obtained a quote for an electronic voting system developed by a European tech company and had been prepared to spend US$80,000 on the software. But the idea was rejected by former law professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting, the architect of the unofficial poll.
Over 610,000 voters cast their ballots in the July 2020 primary, but the government postponed the official Legco election by a year, citing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
On the 36th day of Lai’s oral testimony in West Kowloon Court, prosecutors sought to undermine the tabloid founder’s credibility by highlighting his “keen” interest in the primary, contrary to his previous claims he was “not concerned” about it.
Lai, 77, is contesting two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces under the national security law, as well as a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications in breach of colonial-era legislation.
Text messaging records showed Lai had regular discussions with former lawmakers Lee Wing-tat, Lee Cheuk-yan and ex-Apple Daily columnist Simon Lee Chao-fu about the timing and logistics of the primary as early as December 2019, after the opposition clinched a landslide victory in that year’s district council election.
“We can start the primary barnstorming as soon as possible. This allows those who’re interested to have enough time for barnstorming. This will arouse HK people’s interest and keep them focused on it,” Lai wrote in a message dated December 30, 2019.


Simon Lee, who had offered to help with the electronic voting, told Lai on the same day that the organisers wished to proceed with the unofficial poll in May 2020 and were seeking to engage “localist neophytes”, despite their possible resistance to the primary.
In February 2020, Lai’s right-hand man, Mark Simon, told the tabloid founder he should expect to explain the primary to US government officials, including then vice-president Mike Pence, in a proposed trip to Washington which was eventually scrapped.
The following month, Lai asked Lee Wing-tat and Lee Cheuk-yan to follow up on the primary’s progress, which he felt was “a bit slow”. Lee Wing-tat replied he would push organisers Tai and Au Nok-hin to expedite the project.
Lai told Lee Cheuk-yan in July 2020 that Tai should revisit the idea of electronic voting given the possible difficulty of securing enough polling stations after the national security law took effect.
A debate ensued on Wednesday after Lai gave apparently inconsistent answers as to whether he was “concerned” about the primary.
After a grilling by prosecutors and the three presiding High Court judges, the former media boss clarified he had expressed interest in the event but was not involved in its organisation.
Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Anthony Chau Tin-hang said Lai had been well aware of the primary’s development, while accusing the defendant of repeatedly contradicting himself on the subject.
Lai denied lying in the witness box and maintained he was only confused by the prosecutor’s choice of words.
The trial continues on Thursday.


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Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Ex-media boss says he ‘did not tell the truth’ earlier about poll, adding he obtained quote for vote-counting software and advised on timing


Ex-media boss says he ‘did not tell the truth’ earlier about poll, adding he obtained quote for vote-counting software and advised on timing.


Jimmy Lai admits to pushing for unofficial Hong Kong Legco ‘primary’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Ex-media boss says he ‘did not tell the truth’ earlier about poll, adding he obtained quote for vote-counting software and advised on timing

Ex-media boss says he ‘did not tell the truth’ earlier about poll, adding he obtained quote for vote-counting software and advised on timing