Barrister revealed identity of protected witness, court told

A former South China Morning Post journalist told a court yesterday that barrister Kevin Egan was the legal source who revealed to her the identity of a woman in the ICAC's witness protection programme.

Magdalen Chow Yin-ling said Egan had initially refused comment to court reporters outside a chambers hearing on the habeas corpus application for Becky Wong Pui-see, secretary of listed company Semtech International Holdings, on July 15, 2004.

But when she later approached the barrister to ask him about the meaning of 'protective custody' and if he knew the whereabouts of Ms Wong, Egan told her to look up the Witness Protection Ordinance and Criminal Procedure Ordinance, Ms Chow said.

'He said even he did not know where Becky Wong was,' she said.

Ms Chow, who has been granted immunity against prosecution, also recalled Egan saying that he had been to the ICAC headquarters twice to look for Ms Wong, but officers told him she was not there.

Ms Chow, then chief court reporter, said that when the hearing was adjourned again later in the afternoon, Egan spoke to reporters outside the court.

'Somebody asked him something, but I cannot recall what the question was. Then he said 'witness protection programme',' she said. 'He also said the ICAC or the commissioner had the authority to give a certain witness protection.