Bribery accused made statements in Juno Mak inquiry under threat, court hears The former head of a record company charged with accepting $680,000 in bribes to end singer Juno Mak Chun-lung's contract early told the District Court yesterday he was induced to co-operate with the ICAC to help it to bring down 'the big tigers'. Chan Sai-ming, who is also known as Alex Chan Siu-po, said Independent Commission Against Corruption officers told him he was not the target of the operation when they arrested him at his Sha Tin flat on July 16 last year. Chan, 50, ex-president of Universal Music, said the officers asked him to be a witness and make statements to incriminate others. He has pleaded not guilty to a charge of soliciting an advantage and a charge of accepting an advantage. The offences allegedly took place between July 22, 2002 and July 4 last year. The prosecution claims Chan admitted accepting $680,000 from Juno Mak's father, telecom tycoon Clement Mak Siu-tong, to release the singer from his agreement early. The alleged confessions were made in writing and on video. Chan admitted he accepted the $680,000 out of greed and he felt 'very foolish'. However, his barrister, Cheng Huan SC, has argued that the confessions were inadmissible because they were made under threats and inducements by anti-graft officers. When questioned by Mr Cheng yesterday, Chan said assistant investigator Martin Lee King-man told him to co-operate with the ICAC to bring down 'the big tigers' after the officers searched his flat. Chan claimed Mr Lee said the ICAC's targets included Clement Mak, Jackson To Kit-ho, who acted as a middleman to pass on the money to Chan, and a person surnamed Yeung. The court has earlier heard it was Emperor Group chairman Albert Yeung Sau-shing. He added another officer, chief investigator Eddie Chan Yin-chiu, threatened to take his live-in partner, Elaine Ng Wai-lin, and Chan's 80-year-old mother back to the ICAC if he refused to help them in arresting Jackson To. Chan said he also requested to speak to his lawyer but was told there was no need to consult lawyers. 'They said they really wanted me to be a witness to co-operate to catch the bad people.' The defendant said officer Chan then asked him questions and dictated the answers in a notebook. He also wrote he understood and signed a statement because he felt he was co-operating with them. The two officers have earlier denied, in court, that they induced or threatened Chan in any way. Prosecutor John Necholas has said the record company had a three-year contract with Juno Mak and his agent, Mellow Studio. But Clement Mak was dissatisfied with his son's professional development. In May last year, the tycoon decided to set up a company to promote his son and asked Jackson To to discuss the early resolution of his son's contract with the defendant. It was said Mr To then approached Chan, who agreed to terminate the contract and replace it with a distribution agreement. The case continues before Judge Derek Pang Wai-cheong.
