Top QC David Perry approved to prosecute Kwok bribery trial
Judge says prosecution should be entitled to 'best available talent' in such a high-profile case
Prominent British barrister David Perry, who is leading the prosecution of self-styled fung shui master Tony Chan Chun-chuen, will also be the lead prosecutor in the bribery trial involving the billionaire Kwok brothers and former chief secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan.
The High Court yesterday allowed an application by the Department of Justice to engage Perry after Mr Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung said the prosecution should be entitled to the "best available talent" in such a high-profile case.
The chief judge of the High Court also allowed applications by the Kwok brothers to engage fraud specialist Clare Montgomery QC to act for Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong, 61, and John Kelsey-Fry to represent Raymond Kwok Ping-luen, 59. The pair are co-chairmen of Sun Hung Kai Properties.
Perry's engagement is a surprise. It had been widely rumoured Lord MacDonald QC, the former director of public prosecutions of England and Wales, who has been advising the prosecution on the case, would be appointed.
Perry was the lead prosecutor in the conviction of "milkshake murderess" Nancy Kissel at her retrial.
Montgomery, a former British deputy high court judge and a fraud specialist, recently acted for the Swedish government in its bid to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.