Patten aides 'offered UK passport to Jimmy Lai'
Unverified leaked emails allege city's last governor helped media boss before handover
Aides to the city's last governor Chris Patten allegedly offered Next Media chairman Jimmy Lai Chee-ying a British passport before the handover.
That's according to unverified emails leaked to the media yesterday - the third leak relating to Lai since August.
It came as the Tseung Kwan O headquarters of Next Media were besieged yesterday by an angry mob opposing the Occupy Central movement, which the media boss openly backs.
Another email from Occupy supporter Jeff Tsui Siu-wa to activists including Dr Chan Kin-man and former lawmaker Tanya Chan seems to suggest that Lai or his aide Mark Simon may have paid for the movement to advertise in Next Media publications and other newspapers.
Neither Lai nor Simon could be reached for comment.
The previous round of leaks exposed donations from Lai to lawmakers and prompted an ongoing probe by the Independent Commission Against Corruption. Lai's home was raided and he was asked in for questioning.
The British passport offer was revealed in messages sent to the media with links to thousands of emails - purportedly from a disgruntled Next Media investor.
