Tabloid free to publish nude photos sent to jail

They are the nude photographs even the husband in jail did not want to see.

The wife of inmate Choi Wai-kwong allegedly paid a Stanley Prison guard to twice smuggle 18 photos of her posing naked, among other items, into the high-security jail - but Choi sent them back to her on both occasions.

Now it seems Cheung Lai-shan is to get more exposure than she bargained for, with some of the images expected to be published in a tabloid magazine due out today.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption yesterday failed in an 11th-hour bid to get a judicial order against the publication of the photos in a special hearing before the District Court in Wan Chai.

Judge Anthony To Kwai-fun found he had no jurisdiction to make the order.

But he warned that the photos were court exhibits and anyone who published them could face contempt of court charges.

The development comes during the trial of So Lap-chung for allegedly accepting bribes to smuggle sunglasses, a pager, hair-styling spray and the photographs to the inmate between March and December last year.

So was arrested in December. His trial started last Wednesday.

The smuggled items included a pair of Calvin Klein glasses, a pair of Oakley glasses and another pair worth a total of $4,930, a $1,000 pager that could receive horse racing and soccer betting messages, the hair spray and 20 photos.

The pictures are alleged to have been taken in on two occasions in July and August but were returned to Ms Cheung at Choi's request.

Prosecutors say the defendant contacted Ms Cheung by phone after she was refused permission to give Calvin Klein sunglasses to her husband when she visited him.

The court has heard Ms Cheung lent So $1,900 after the items were smuggled in. She also bought him a $1,000 model ship and paid him $10,000 for delivering the pager.