It's Leung's turn for some home truths in illegal structure row

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

That might well have been the question on the lips of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying yesterday as he issued a denial of allegations by a former supporter that he lied over illegal structures at his homes on The Peak.

Twenty-four hours after his accuser-in-chief, Lew Mon-hung, sparked a media frenzy by turning on the man he backed to become leader, Leung took to the airwaves to calm the storm.

Asked on ATV's Newsline if there was any truth to Lew's claim he lied over the illegal structures and considers pan-democrats the "enemy", Leung said: "Not at all … What he said about my homes is not true.'' And on the democrats: "I invite them to breakfasts, lunches and dinners but not all of them turn up. I consider them - I consider all lawmakers - as partners.''

Then, as if to cement his denial, the chief executive went on to reaffirm he aims to become China's first democratically elected leader by seeking a second term in 2017. "That will be my target. But I will need the co-operation of everyone in Hong Kong, including the Legislative Council. I have not changed my mind. Many of the issues and challenges we face will take more than five years to tackle."

Leung's denial will do little to stop his detractors in the pan-democratic camp, who yesterday called for a Legislative Council grilling of both men and the invoking of special powers to do so - a move doomed to fail without the support of Legco's Beijing loyalists.

Meanwhile Lew, erstwhile factory worker and member of the nation's top political advisory body, was in Beijing and standing by the allegations made in an interview with iSun Affairs magazine, whose publisher is Chen Ping, a non-executive director of Pearl Oriental Oil, the listed company of which Lew is deputy chairman and executive director.