Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai thought his arrest would boost global attention, sales of Apple Daily, court hears

Paralegal Wayland Chan tells court Lai’s right-hand man Mark Simon had discussed with him impact of mogul’s arrest on efforts to instigate foreign intervention in Hong Kong affairs

Chan said Simon felt road ahead was ‘very tough’ as businessmen and politicians in West began cutting ties with Lai

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Jimmy Lai in Stanley Prison in July last year. He has pleaded not guilty to two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third count of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications. Photo: AP

Published: 7:13pm, 24 Apr 2024Updated: 10:17pm, 24 Apr 2024

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying believed his arrest under the national security law was a good thing as it could attract international attention and boost the sales of his now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid newspaper, a key prosecution witness has told a court.

Paralegal Wayland Chan Tsz-wah said on Wednesday Lai’s right-hand man Mark Simon had discussed with him the impact of the mogul’s arrest in August 2020 on their efforts to instigate foreign intervention in Hong Kong affairs.

Chan said Simon, who previously worked for US naval intelligence, felt the road ahead was “very tough” as businessmen and politicians in the West began cutting ties with Lai.

“It was a huge blow to us,” the accomplice witness told West Kowloon Court. “Because without Jimmy Lai, we might no longer be able to get insider information from the US government, and we might lose all our political connections in the US and beyond.”

Jimmy Lai stands accused of masterminding an anti-China campaign by pulling the strings behind SWHK to instigate sanctions and other hostile acts against Hong Kong and Beijing. Photo: AP

Chan added Lai’s connections in the United States had made it much easier for the “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” (SWHK) advocacy group to push for economic sanctions against Hong Kong and mainland China.