Hong Kong activist allegedly backed by Jimmy Lai says he never took money from tycoon during global lobbying effort

Andy Li tells court he had no direct contact with Apple Daily founder before or after Beijing-decreed national security law took effect in June 2020

Detained activist also says two of Lai’s private companies made advance payments for SWHK lobbying group to run two overseas advertising campaigns in 2019

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Jimmy Lai has denied two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 7:29pm, 10 Apr 2024Updated: 10:19pm, 10 Apr 2024

An activist allegedly backed by media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying told a court he had never accepted money from him during a global lobbying initiative to trigger international sanctions against Hong Kong and mainland China.

Andy Li Yu-hin also said on Wednesday he had no direct contact with the Apple Daily founder before or after the Beijing-decreed national security law came into force in June 2020.

Li, who is testifying for the prosecution after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, gave evidence under cross-examination by Lai’s lawyers as the high-profile trial entered its 57th day.

The 76-year-old tycoon has denied two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.

Activist Andy Li is giving evidence in the Jimmy Lai trial as a witness for the prosecution. Photo: Handout

One of the collusion charges alleged Lai financed the “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” (SWHK) lobbying group and instructed its core member Li via a middleman to instigate economic sanctions and other hostile acts from the West in the aftermath of the 2019 anti-government protests.