Chan Pui-man, a former associate publisher of the newspaper, also said her ex=boss asked her to play up the coverage of a 2019 meeting between then-United States vice-president Mike Pence and an opposition delegation to achieve “maximum effect”.
As the high-profile trial entered its 23rd day, Chan appeared as the second accomplice witness to testify against former boss Lai, 76, who is facing charges of sedition and conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under the national security law.
Prosecutors presented WhatsApp communications between Chan and Lai that showed the tycoon asked his subordinate to get in touch with Benedict Rogers, co-founder of Hong Kong Watch, on October 31, 2017, a month before the rights group was established in London.
“Pui man, I just had dinner with Ben Rogers. He recently founded Hong Kong Watch with some MPs [Members of Parliament], to safeguard Hong Kong’s freedoms. I told him to come to you in case he needed help from the media,” the message read.
Lai’s ex-aide denies he turned prosecution witness after he met Hong Kong police
Lai’s ex-aide denies he turned prosecution witness after he met Hong Kong police
Chan said what she knew about the group at that time was that it advocated freedom and democracy in Hong Kong and was “very critical” of Beijing. Following the enactment of the national security law in June 2020, the group had appealed to the UK government to sanction John Lee Ka-chiu, then secretary for security and now chief executive, as well as other local and mainland Chinese officials, for restricting the city’s freedom.
Hong Kong authorities in 2022 demanded that the group’s website be taken down on the grounds of national security.
She told the court they maintained WhatsApp communications till 2019 and added that the group “frequently” sent her press releases after the Hong Kong government proposed an extradition bill.
“From 2017 to 2019, all information he sent me was about their organisation and its releases,” Chan said.
The court heard that Apple Daily had reported on Rogers, the then deputy chairman of the UK Conservative Party’s human rights commission, being denied entry to Hong Kong in 2017, as well as the launch of the rights group later in the year.
It also published a story on December 31 that year that ran under the headline: “Man of the year: Rogers denied threatening the safety of Hong Kong. ‘I have to speak up for those who do not have rights to speak’.”
Apple Daily series reflected Lai’s views on Hong Kong national security law: court
Apple Daily series reflected Lai’s views on Hong Kong national security law: court
Ivan Cheung Cheuk-kan, an acting assistant director of public prosecutions, asked Chan: “how was he chosen as ‘the man of the year’ for 2017?”
Chan replied: “I don’t remember.”
She earlier confirmed to prosecutors that she was responsible for three key editorial meetings on a daily basis as the highest-ranking editorial employee, during which she gave advice on the content and layout of the newspaper, based on updates by colleagues.
She said she usually attended meetings with Lam Man-chung, the former executive editor-in-chief, and sometimes with Ryan Law Wai-kwong, the former editor-in-chief, who was in charge of the English-language online version.
The trio, and three other Apple Daily executives, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy with Lai to collude with foreign forces, which might lead to a lesser penalty for the offence that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Jimmy Lai used articles to push anti-China agenda in US, Hong Kong court hears
Jimmy Lai used articles to push anti-China agenda in US, Hong Kong court hears
The prosecution on Monday sought to establish Chan’s role in some Apple Daily articles that had input from the founder.
The court heard that Lai forwarded Chan a photo featuring the city’s former No 2 official Anson Chan Fang On-sang and Pence in a meeting on March 23, 2019, a month after the government proposed the controversial extradition bill.
Lai told publisher Chan to bolster the coverage to the “maximum effect” by using the photo provided by the now-defunct Civic Party.
The following day, the tabloid splashed it on the front page with the headline that read: “Pence met with Mrs Chan, showing concerns for human rights in Hong Kong”.
The front page story also carried the subhead “Scholars: high standard reception exerts pressure on Beijing”, and an analysis side story titled “Hong Kong issue may become a tug of war between China and the US.”
Prosecutor Cheung asked the former tabloid executive whether she was “responsible for headlines and photos of the front page”, to which Chan replied: “Yes, this was taken to the front page because it had news value. Lai’s instruction to play it up was certainly a factor too.”
She also agreed with Justice Alex Lee Wan-tang’s assertion that Lai’s views about the importance of news issues “had a bearing” on her editorial decision.
The trial continues on Tuesday.
