A MAGAZINE reporter who had two telephone conversations with former Far East Bank chairman Deacon Chiu Te-ken said she found he had no difficulty in understanding her questions.
Chiu has claimed he is suffering from dementia.
Ms Chan Sik-chee of Next magazine, who talked with Deacon Chiu and then published an article about him on September 4, last year, said she found most of the answers he gave in the course of the interview satisfactory.
She was called as a witness for the Crown, which is opposing an application by Deacon Chiu, 66, and his son, David Chiu Tat-cheong, 37, for a permanent stay of proceedings against them.
They are charged with a total of 14 offences, including conspiracy to falsify documents of the Far East Bank and conspiracy to defraud the Commissioner of Banking in relation to loans totalling $325.5 million.
They contend that the case against them should be stopped on the grounds of abuse of process and the Bill of Rights.
While they both argued that they would not have a fair trial because of the substantial delay, Deacon Chiu also claimed that he was medically unfit to conduct his defence.