Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai’s lawyers accuse ex-top aide of tailoring testimony to implicate Apple Daily founder in national security case

Cheung Kim-hung’s sworn statement in 2021 runs contrary to his court testimony that Apple Daily ‘strictly adhered to the principle of editorial independence,’ defence says

The defendant-turned-prosecution witness says he was only responsible for high-level strategic planning and general business operation of parent company Next Digital

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A prison van carrying Jimmy Lai arriving at West Kowloon Court on January 2. The defence on Wednesday challenged a sworn statement submitted by ex-publisher Cheung Kim-hung. Photo: Elson Li

Published: 4:25pm, 31 Jan 2024Updated: 4:40pm, 31 Jan 2024

Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s lawyers have accused a former top aide of tailoring his court testimony to implicate the tycoon in exchange for a shorter sentence for his role in a national security case involving the now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid.

The defence on Wednesday took aim at a sworn statement submitted by ex-publisher and defendant-turned-prosecution witness Cheung Kim-hung in his failed attempt to secure bail after his prosecution in June 2021 under the Beijing-imposed national security law.

Cheung said in the statement that he was only responsible for high-level strategic planning and the general business operation of Apple Daily’s parent company Next Digital, and was “not in any way involved in … setting the editorial policies and practices” of the newspaper.

Cheung Kim-hung at the Next Digital office building in Tseung Kwan O, as police officers raid Apple Daily offices in June 2021. Photo: Winson Wong

Defence Senior Counsel Robert Pang Yiu-hung argued that submission was inconsistent with the witness’ earlier contention that he had conveyed Lai’s editorial instructions to senior editorial staff and oversaw the latter’s operation.

Cheung’s evidence in court also ran contrary to his own assertion in the 2021 statement that Apple Daily “strictly adhered to the principle of editorial independence”, the lawyer continued.

“I put to you, Mr Cheung, that your evidence in your affidavit … is inconsistent with your testimony in court, because you want to put the blame on Mr Lai,” Pang said as the national security trial entered its 20th day.

“You are doing so in the hope that you will receive a lighter sentence for the charge to which you have pleaded guilty.”