Tax-protest agony aunt collapses from hunger

AGONY aunt Pamela Pak Wan-kam spent last night in Ruttonjee Hospital after she collapsed outside Inland Revenue Tower on the fifth day of a hunger strike.

But the controversial radio host, protesting against the Government's decision to take her to court on tax-evasion charges, vowed to return today to continue the protest in defiance of her doctor's advice.

Pak was taken to hospital by ambulance after one of her supporters found her lying unconscious outside Inland Revenue Tower at 11am. Her boyfriend and lawyer Paul Tse Wai-chun, who is also on hunger strike, said last night that Pak had refused to eat in hospital.

'She refused to be treated with glucose injections and food despite her blood sugar level being too low. She wants to keep her commitment while staying in hospital,' Mr Tse said.

He said they would both continue the strike until tomorrow, when they will have completed their seven-day protest.

Last week, Pak was summonsed to appear in Western Court to face tax-evasion charges. She began the fast over the Government's decision to take her to court, saying she had written to the Inland Revenue Department offering to pay the outstanding amount plus fines, but the offer had been rejected.

No plea was entered to the charges, which prosecutor Michael Blanchflower said involved a sum of $194,000 but Mr Tse said was higher.

Three years ago, Metro Broadcast stopped Pak's programme after the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority received 95 complaints about Pak's Heart to Heart phone-in show over a programme about the sex life of late Cantonese opera singer Tang Wing-cheung.