Surprise witnesses give Stephen Gan alibi for night cabbie claims he was assaulted

The man widely known as the Prince of White Flower Oil was partying at a wedding in Wan Chai on the night he was accused of molesting a taxi driver four years ago, the bride told a court yesterday.

Denise Lau Sze-wai was testifying in Eastern Court at the trial of Stephen Gan Fock-wai, chief executive of Pak Fah Yeow International, the maker of traditional Chinese analgesic balm and other products. Gan has pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecent assault.

A taxi driver, 37, earlier testified that Gan fondled his private parts inside a cab at about 1am on November 30, 2003, on Braemar Hill Road.

But both Ms Lau and Gan's younger sister, Gan Fock-yin, testified yesterday that Gan was at the wedding party at that time. Ms Gan told the court she drove her brother home after the wedding and saw him enter the gate of his housing complex shortly after 2am that night.

Gan says he has no memory of the day's events.

Gan, 46, who acknowledged in court earlier this week that he was bisexual, has also denied he harassed another taxi driver, 34, on October 10, 2006. He says that driver did not object when he touched his crotch and that he believed the driver was sexually interested in him.