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Brian Wong

Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s lawyers have asked Hong Kong judges hearing his national security trial to discard prosecutors’ evidence that the tabloid founder devised an anti-China lobbying strategy, saying the witness making the allegation was an “admitted serial liar”.
Defence lawyers on Wednesday wrapped up their closing arguments at West Kowloon Court for the former media boss’s national security trial, in which Lai is contesting charges of conspiracy to print seditious articles and collude with foreign forces.
Lai, who has been detained since December 2020, allegedly used his now-defunct news outlet and social media platforms to trigger foreign sanctions and incite public disaffection against authorities between April 2019 and June 2021.
The 77-year-old is also suspected of financing the “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” (SWHK) lobbying group to instigate hostile actions by the West.
Prosecutors have relied heavily on Lai’s pursuit of foreign sanctions and other measures targeting China before the implementation of the national security law in June 2020, contending that he was “resolute” in furthering his cause through statements on social media, in newspaper columns and in interviews after collusion became a crime.
Marc Corlett, who is part of Lai’s legal team, said it was not “inherently incredible” for the Apple Daily founder to deny discussing any lobbying tactics with SWHK’s core members during what was described as a watershed meeting in Taiwan in January 2020.
Defendant turned prosecution witness Wayland Chan Tsz-wah, whom prosecutors said acted as a middleman between Lai and the group, earlier testified that the former media boss used the meeting to discuss his four-step international lobbying agenda and revealed his master plan to instigate mainland China’s “implosion”.
The accused denied ever instructing the group to push for foreign sanctions, while attributing the anti-China strategy to UK-based activist Finn Lau Cho-dik.
Corlett sought to discredit Chan’s account by highlighting that another defendant turned witness, former SWHK member Andy Li Yu-hin, made no mention in his court testimony about the directions Lai allegedly gave.
The counsel argued that Chan was a “convicted criminal” and “admitted serial liar”, referring to his pleading guilty to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and confession in the witness box that he had repeatedly lied to police during an investigation.
He also suggested the witness, who was affiliated with a radical faction of anti-government protesters, was “violent” and open to overthrowing the government by force.

“That is an unhappy basis for the prosecution’s submission that his evidence is to be preferred to the evidence of Mr Lai, particularly when the prosecution can call on no support from the evidence of [Li] as to what occurred at the Taiwan meeting,” Corlett said.
Madam Justice Susana D’Almada Remedios, one of the three presiding High Court judges, argued that Li could have simply forgotten the details when he gave a summary of what Chan told him about the Taiwan meeting.
Remedios also questioned the defence’s basis for urging the court to assess Lai’s evidence with “empathy”. Corlett said the legal team was merely referring to the defendant’s advanced age and deteriorating memory.
Separately, the defence said Lai could not be blamed for maintaining contact with US political figures and inviting them to his “Live Chat with Jimmy Lai” talk show after June 2020.
“Merely talking about foreign policy matters with those who are not co-conspirators goes no way to demonstrate what the prosecution needs to prove,” Corlett said.
The counsel also asked the court to disregard what he said was hearsay evidence that Lai’s right-hand man, Mark Simon, allegedly encouraged Wayland Chan to persist in his lobbying efforts.
But Madam Justice Esther Toh Lye-ping suggested there was “strong evidence” that Lai wanted Simon, a former US naval intelligence employee, to act as a conduit between him and the activist after June 2020.
Jon Wong Kwok-ho, who is representing three Next Digital companies that are also on trial, urged the judges not to attribute the criminal conduct of the tabloid’s senior management to the corporate defendants.
But the lawyer acknowledged that if the court was satisfied that Lai represented the companies’ “directing mind and will”, the charges against the tabloid founder and the three companies would “stand or fall together”.
The judges adjourned the case until Thursday to consider a defence application to admit certain statements as facts, before officially concluding the trial.


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Jimmy Lai trial

Jimmy Lai’s lawyers ask Hong Kong judges to discard testimony of ‘serial liar’

Former media boss Jimmy Lai is on trial for allegedly conspiring to print seditious articles and collude with foreign forces. Photo: AFP

Lai’s defence team has taken aim at defendant turned prosecution witness Wayland Chan over his testimony that the former media boss directed a lobbying group to seek sanctions. Photo: Handout

The Jimmy Lai trial so far: updates on high-profile Hong Kong national security case

Jimmy Lai is standing trial on two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications. Photo: Felix Wong

Jimmy Lai is standing trial on two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications. Photo: Edmond So

A sketch of Jimmy Lai testifying in court. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

A police officer keeps watch outside West Kowloon Court. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Jimmy Lai being escorted by police officers in 2020. Photo: Felix Wong

A prison vehicle arrives at West Kowloon Court, where Jimmy Lai’s trial is being held. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Customers buy a copy of the last edition of Apple Daily in June 2021. Photo: Felix Wong

Witnesses have told the court that Apple Daily’s editorial direction changed in response to the US-China trade war. Photo: Dickson Lee

Cheung Kim-hung is the former publisher of the now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid. Photo: Dickson Lee

Former Next Digital executive Royston Chow at an earlier court hearing. Photo: Sam Tsang

Wayland Chan is among the witnesses who have given evidence for the prosecution. Photo: SCMP

Activist Andy Li was arrested under the national security law. Photo: Handout

A prison vehicle carrying Jimmy Lai arrives at West Kowloon Court. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow supported Japanese sanctions against Hong Kong for alleged human rights breaches during the city’s 2019 protests, the court has heard. Photo: May Tse

Police stand guard outside the court amid the media tycoon’s trial. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Detained activist Andy Li in 2020. Li testified for the prosecution in Jimmy Lai’s national security trial. Photo: Handout 

Jimmy Lai attends a rally in Wan Chai in 2019. Photo: Edmond So

A prison vehicle with Jimmy Lai inside arrives at West Kowloon Court. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Former Apple Daily publisher Cheung Kim-hung is escorted by police in 2021. Photo: AFP

Jimmy Lai’s son Lai Shun-yan and the former media boss’ wife Teresa Lai arrive at court. Photo: Eugene Lee

Media misled Hong Kong public on extradition bill, judge in Jimmy Lai trial says

A judge has highlighted that Jimmy Lai’s Apple Daily did not initiate any “rational” debate on how to improve the extradition bill, and only called for its outright withdrawal. Photo: AFP

The prison van carrying Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai arrived at West Kowloon Court on Monday. Photo: Eugene Lee

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Law and Crime

Defence team takes aim at defendant turned prosecution witness Wayland Chan over testimony that Lai directed lobbying group to seek sanctions


Defence team takes aim at defendant turned prosecution witness Wayland Chan over testimony that Lai directed lobbying group to seek sanctions.


Jimmy Lai’s lawyers ask Hong Kong judges to discard testimony of ‘serial liar’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Defence team takes aim at defendant turned prosecution witness Wayland Chan over testimony that Lai directed lobbying group to seek sanctions

Defence team takes aim at defendant turned prosecution witness Wayland Chan over testimony that Lai directed lobbying group to seek sanctions