Advertisement
Hong Kong courts
Hong KongLaw and Crime

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s personal assistant authorised to receive about HK$14 million in crowdfunding donations, court told

  • West Kowloon Court hears money was to be used to help set up US trust fund to back international campaign against mainland China
  • The crowdfunding cash was said to have been passed on to Lai’s assistant Mark Simon and later moved on to US-based Project Hong Kong Trust

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
A heavy police presence in evidence in January around West Kowloon Court as the trial of tycoon Jimmy Lai on two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and one of conspiracy to print seditious publications. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Brian Wong
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s personal assistant was authorised to receive HK$14 million (US$1.8 million) in crowdfunding donations to help set up a US trust fund in support of an international campaign against mainland China five years ago, a court has heard.
Advertisement
West Kowloon Court was told on Tuesday the “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” (SWHK) group had used former US naval intelligence man Mark Simon’s bank account to withdraw the US$1.8 million in donations to an American crowdfunding platform in August 2019.

The money was said to have been later moved to the Project Hong Kong Trust, set up in the US to avoid potential enforcement action by city authorities.

Detained activist Andy Li Yu-hin, a core SWHK member, said the group authorised Simon to be the recipient of the cash as the crowdfunding platform required the donations to be forwarded to an American citizen with a US dollar account.

Businessman Jimmy Lai, who faces two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and one of conspiracy to print seditious publications. Photo: AP
Businessman Jimmy Lai, who faces two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and one of conspiracy to print seditious publications. Photo: AP

Li, an IT programmer turned activist who appeared as prosecution witness, said Simon’s side had contributed around HK$3.5 million that month by making advance payments to a variety of overseas media outlets before being reimbursed with the donations.

Advertisement
Advertisement