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SCMP Reporter

The lawyer boyfriend of an actress is suing a newspaper publisher for defamation after its readers were asked to vote on whether they thought he was faithful to her.

Adonis Cheung Kam-wing, a barrister in Hong Kong since 1994, wants Sun News Publisher Ltd to pay unspecified damages plus interest.

In court papers made public in the High Court yesterday, lawyers for Mr Cheung said a front-page story in the entertainment section of the Sun  on October 4 was 'defamatory and/or untrue in nature and meanings'.

The writ says readers were directed to vote on the newspaper's Web site as to whether he was faithful to actress girlfriend Astrid Chan Tsz-ching, who has appeared in television shows including Healing Hands  and the film Violent Cop.

It says that in view of the contents of the article 'the voting is defamatory in nature'.

Mr Cheung 'suffered embarrassment and felt aggrieved both in his private life and professional practice' as a result of the article and poll, it is claimed. The Sun 'knew or ought to have known' that its report on his love life was not true but did not verify the allegations with him, the writ says.

A Sun  reporter was said to have conducted an interview with Mr Cheung's girlfriend for the report in which she denied the allegations. The report was published 'with a malicious and calculated view to attract, at the expense of the plaintiff, the most of the attention of the public . . . so as to benefit and unjustly enrich the defendant's newspaper and business'.

Last Friday lawyers for Mr Cheung wrote to the Sun, giving it four days to withdraw the report and tender a full apology.

No reply was made, but the Sun  reporter allegedly asked Ms Chan to dissuade Mr Cheung from taking legal action or see 'further information in possession of the defendant' concerning him published, according to the writ. Mr Cheung is also seeking an injunction.



Actress' barrister boyfriend sues paper over vote on his fidelity