Current location:politics >>
Jimmy Lai provided HK$1.5 million loan to activists, court hears
politics9People have gathered around
IntroductionHong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai was willing to provide “all kinds of help,” including a HK$1.5 milli ...
Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai was willing to provide “all kinds of help,” including a HK$1.5 million loan, to activists launching a global advertising campaign in June 2019, the mogul’s national security trial has heard.
Prosecution witness Chan Tsz-wah, a paralegal that prosecutors alleged was a middleman who linked Lai with the Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong (SWHK) advocacy group, also said on Friday that veteran democrat Martin Lee connected him with the mogul’s personal assistant, Mark Simon.
Chan agreed to testify against Lai after pleading guilty to conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law in July 2021. He has been detained since February that year following his arrest.
He said a chat group on messaging app Telegram consisting of thousands of members was formed in relation to the campaign, but the group could not immediately withdraw its crowdfunding proceeds as funding.
“[A member] suggested we could reach out to Jimmy Lai or his friends to solve… this money issue,” Chan said in Cantonese.
“And then someone suggested if anyone knew Jimmy Lai [in person], perhaps we could contact Martin Lee, because everybody knew they were close to each other,” he added.
Chan said an unidentified member sent out Lee’s number in the group, which he first thought “was a joke” because it had six identical digits.
“I braced myself to call the number and was able to reach Martin Lee,” he said, adding that he told the democrat the campaign needed a “bridging loan” of HK$3 million.
Martin Lee later referred Chan to Mark Simon, Lai’s personal assistant, as Lai was not in Hong Kong at that time, Chan told the court.
“[Simon] told me Jimmy was willing to provide all kinds of help to support this type of publicity campaign,” the witness said.
Simon offered to provide a loan of up to HK$5 million and eventually made about HK$1.5 million in advance payment to various newspapers, he added.
Chan said his role was to facilitate the correspondence of invoices and payment records between Simon and another prosecution witness Andy Li, who completed testimony on Thursday.
See also: Jimmy Lai trial hears Hong Kong activist believed national security law was imposed to persecute ‘political enemies’
The court previously heard Li, a programmer turned lobbyist, was the bookkeeper for the campaign which involved running adverts in 20 newspapers in 13 countries. Chan said on Friday that Li was responsible for making repayments to Simon afterwards.
He added that Lai and Simon did not demand any interest or guarantees for the repayment of the loan.
‘Finance, networking, and media connections’
The witness also recalled a meeting with Simon in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Central in July 2019, saying that Simon “greatly praised” the outcome and the impact of the campaign at the meeting.
“[Simon] told me the future of publicity work should retain the influence of the G20 advertising campaign,” Chan said. “If we could continue the work in this regard, which aligned with their political ideology, he said he was willing to help in terms of finance, networking, and media connections.”
Chan said Simon did not elaborate on his political ideology, but added that he mentioned democracy several times.
He also said Simon offered to help him with setting up an offshore bank account due to his business endeavour at the time, which Simon described as a “reward.”
The trial continues on Monday.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Culture Circuit news portal”。http://svalbard.whetstonetavern.com/article-8c999948.html
Related articles
Report: MLB to modify Nike uniforms after complaints from players, fans
politicsMajor League Baseball plans to modify its Nike uniforms by the start of the 2025 season following co ...
【politics】
Read moreStudents Learn About Intangible Cultural Heritages in Summer Vacation in Guangxi, S China
politicsContact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom ...
【politics】
Read moreHighlights of Cultural Activities at Chengdu Universiade
politicsContact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom ...
【politics】
Read more
Popular articles
- Chinese readers find new passion for scientific literature
- Spring Bud Girls Attend 2023 Changchun Air Show
- Relocated Mountain Women Empowered by New Roles and Jobs
- Younger Generation Flocks to Museums to Celebrate Chinese Culture
- Report: MLB to modify Nike uniforms after complaints from players, fans
- Villages Become Entrepreneurship Hubs for Youngsters in Chongqing
Latest articles
Warning signs of a mini
Nighttime Economy Boosted in Xuan'en County, C China's Hubei
Rescue Underway in Flood
People Participate in Cultural Activities During National Day Holiday Across China
Convicted robber, 45, admits stabbing charity busker, 87, while riding his mobility scooter
Travel prices for May Day holiday surge
LINKS
- Children in Yuncheng celebrated the festive spirit of the New Year in their new clothes and hats
- Rugao boosts local textile enterprises to enhance quality and increase production
- Neatly arranged new energy vehicles await shipment to overseas markets
- Africa seeks to make climate needs known on global stage
- Closure of Gaolan Port Bridge in Guangdong Huangmao Sea cross
- Africa seeks to make climate needs known on global stage
- Xi Pledges Allegiance to Constitution
- Lin Xiaojun wins 500m gold at short track speed skating worlds
- Xi Holds Talks with Iranian President, Eyeing New Progress in Ties
- Neatly arranged new energy vehicles await shipment to overseas markets