SOLICITOR Oscar Lai Ka-to, who was sentenced to seven years' jail for bribing disgraced government lawyer Warwick Reid to fix prosecutions, yesterday launched his appeal against conviction and sentence.
Lai's London QC, Richard Ferguson, submitted that the trial judge's summing-up to the jury was confused, confusing and unbalanced.
He said Mr Justice Saied failed to remind the jury of the defence case and although he reviewed the evidence in chief of main prosecution witness Reid at length and in some detail, he failed to deal adequately with what Reid said in cross-examination.
Mr Ferguson also said the judge failed to give appropriate warnings to the jury on how to deal with evidence from alleged accomplice Reid.
The trial in 1992 lasted 41/2 months and pre-trial arguments had taken four months.
Businessman Lee Hoi-kwong, 51, is also appealing against conviction and his seven-year term for one offence. Co-defendant, barrister Eddie Soh Chee-kong, 51, withdrew his appeal against conviction last year.
Mr Ferguson said the judge said the defence case was based on an attack on the credibility of Reid. But Lai had another line of defence which the judge did not put to the jury.
