Eunice Lam

Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of Next Digital, testified in court that he suggested imposing sanctions on Beijing and Hong Kong leaders during a meeting with former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in July 2019.

This marked the 97th day of Lai's trial, which continued yesterday at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court, where the 76-year-old is defending himself.

Lai confirmed discussing his meeting with Pompeo during a program hosted by former Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan.

He said that he did not mention sanctions during the meeting.

However, a subsequent report from Apple Daily indicated that Lai believed the US should impose sanctions on Beijing and Hong Kong officials who suppressed protesters.

Acknowledging the report, Lai expressed confidence in its accuracy if it stated that he had made such remarks.

He also clarified that he did not instruct Apple Daily's senior management to draft the "Apple Daily Editorial Room Agreement," which affirmed the newspaper's editorial independence, nor did he provide editorial direction during regular "lunchbox meetings" with management.

Despite this, Lai admitted to recommending columnists for the newspaper, including pro-independence writer Sang Pu.

He added that the plan was abandoned after Apple Daily's then-publisher, Cheung Kim-hung, informed him of Sang Pu's pro-independence views.

Lai rejected claims that he had discussed publishing seditious content with the newspaper's management, asserting "I never thought anything seditious should be published; what they published should be legal."

In court, Lai also said he was unaware of activist Andy Li Yu-hin, who had previously testified as a prosecution witness.

Li was responsible for managing payments for global advertising campaigns between June and August 2019, during which Lai helped him prepay a total of HK$5 million.

Lai also said that he met another prosecution witness, paralegal Chan Tsz-wah, only in October 2019, arranged by Democratic Party founding chairman Martin Lee Chu-ming, well after the July 2019 events referenced by Chan.

Lai said he met Chan to discuss the consequences of violence in protests, calling Chan's assertion that he aimed to lead the "radical protestor" camp "farcical."

"It would be very foolish and presumptuous of me to say anything like that," he said.

The trial continues today.

Mike Pompeo

Lai admits urging Pompeo to impose sanctions