Prosecution witness Chan had earlier lied to police, court told

Paralegal Chan Tsz-wah admitted to initially lying in his written statement to the police but later decided to become a prosecution witness, the court heard on the 70th day of Next Digital founder Jimmy Lai's trial.

Chan, who was affiliated with the pro-independence advocacy group "Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong," had lied to the police during his initial arrest in October 2020 to distance himself from Lai and others.

He revealed that he believed his association with Lai and the others was exposed when activist Andy Li Yu-hin was arrested.

In a subsequent interview with the police between late March and April 2021, Chan expressed his wish to be a prosecution witness. The prosecution questioned his change of heart, to which Chan responded that his initial statement was false, and he could no longer bear the weight of his guilt.

He said that after a video-recorded interview with the police on April 28, 2021, he confirmed the truthfulness of his statements.

However, at the time of the court proceedings, the acceptance of Chan as a prosecution witness had not been confirmed by the prosecution and police.

Chan also testified earlier that Lai had aspirations of becoming the leader of the valiant protesters during the 2019 protests. He clarified that Lai intended to create a platform that would bridge the peaceful and non-violent protesters with the valiant ones. When questioned by national security judge Alex Lee Wan-tang if Lai aimed to take charge of the entire protest, Chan explained that the valiant camp did not have any leaders. Therefore, by bridging the peaceful and valiant protesters, Lai would effectively lead the entire protest.

Chan also said despite the enactment of the national security law, he would continue to engage in international lobbying and push for international sanctions. He believed that Lai, Li, and others were working hard for the benefit of Hong Kong.

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com