Suspect in Martin Lee plot tries to prove he has US citizenship

The trial over a US$1 million plot to murder media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and former Democratic Party chairman Martin Lee Chu-ming continued yesterday in Shenzhen, with a key defendant trying to prove his US citizenship so as not to be tried as a resident of Hong Kong.

Chan Siu-ming, 60, known as 'Uncle Seven', who holds dual citizenship, sought to convince the judge that he had stayed in the US longer than in Hong Kong.

The hearing of less than two hours was held behind closed doors at Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court. It was the second hearing of the trial. The first one, also behind closed doors, was on July 22.

No1 defendant Tung Nga-man, 66, known as 'Brother Kam', again denied the charge of attempted murder when he spoke briefly in court, according to his lawyer, Wu Qingyou. Tung, a Hong Kong resident, pleaded not guilty in the first hearing.

All 10 defendants in the case attended the hearing yesterday. They were arrested on the mainland last year after the arrest in Hong Kong of mainlander Huang Nanhua. He was stopped at a police roadblock in Mong Kok on August 14 last year and found in possession of a pistol, five bullets and personal details of the targets.

In July, the Court of First Instance sentenced Huang, 50, to 16 years in jail for his role in the plot against Lee and Lai.

Border-crossing records of Chan, the No3 defendant, were examined in the hearing yesterday as the judge mulled over his citizenship, according to Huang Wenkai, the lawyer for No5 defendant Chu Ying-wah.