Lai money man admits being a 'rubber stamp'

Eunice Lam

Royston Chow Tat-kuen, the former chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Next Digital, testified as a prosecution witness on the 72nd day of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying's trial, revealing he was responsible for managing Lai's private company finances and approving expenses on his behalf.

The prosecution questioned Chow over an April 19, 2019, email in which he had been asked to approve a US$2 million (HK$15.6 million) transfer from Lai's bank account to the tycoon's Canada-based Lais Hotel Properties. Its purpose was given as "projects per Mark's email."

Chow admitted approving the transfer the next day without reviewing supporting documents on the assumption that Lai had already gone through the necessary audit procedures and approved it.

Chow acknowledged acting as a "rubber stamp" for Lai, not questioning money transfers because Lai had already approved them.

He said he did not inquire about the details of "Mark's project," for which the funds were designated. The court has heard that the money was intended for Lai's assistant, Mark Simon, to pursue personal projects.

Chow also confirmed receiving an email on June 27, 2019, from Dico Consultant, one of Lai's companies.

It stated that Simon had requested a bridging loan of HK$5 million be given to activist Andy Li Yu-hin by check. This request arose due to difficulties encountered in withdrawing funds raised from crowdfunding for a global advertising campaign.

According to Chow, Democratic Party cofounder Martin Lee Chu-ming had asked Lai to provide the loan, which was expected to be repaid by July 4, 2019.

Chow further said that, as chief operating officer, he took part in weekly "lunch-box meetings" with staff from the company's publications and its information communication technology department.

The 2019 protest movement was among topics regularly raised during these meetings.

Being responsible for managing the ICT department, he had to ensure Apple Daily's digital English-language edition was launched in time, and it took place in May 2020.

Chow said the its purpose was to garner foreign support, particularly Americans and politicians, who could then read the English digital edition.

Chow said Lai gave Simon a US$200,000 year-end bonus in 2019 in the form of a check that Lai signed and not through Next Digital.

The defense is expected to cross-examine Chow, and the court will review the defense's application to recall former Apple Daily publisher Cheung Kim-hung as a witness.