A notorious drug baron accused last month of fabricating evidence against an innocent man is to be used by the prosecution as a witness in another case, the Court of Appeal heard yesterday.
Yu Yem-kin, 48, said to be the former lover of fugitive 'ice queen' Lee Chau-ping, was one of three long-serving prisoners who testified for the Government in a $200 million smuggling case.
But his story was rejected by the jury after other inmates came forward to say the witnesses had concocted their evidence in Stanley Prison. The man Yu had accused of being the mastermind of a massive heroin racket was acquitted of all charges and released.
Yu is appealing against his 15-year sentence for drug offences and will rely on the help he has given the authorities in a bid to have it slashed. His barrister, Christopher Grounds, asked for the appeal to be postponed so that Yu could go on helping the prosecution. 'It appears he still has a substantial amount of co-operation to complete prior to this court being able to assess in an effective and proper way the extent and nature of his continued co-operation with the authorities,' he said.
Mr Grounds said Yu had given the evidence expected of him in last month's drug trial, even though the case had ended with not-guilty verdicts.
He told the court the Government was intending to use Yu as a witness in another case, involving an attempt to confiscate the proceeds of crime.
