PR Stunt Claim Factually Incorrect: Wong Yan-lung

Former Justice Secretary Wong Yan-lung has denied suggestions that a public relations firm arranged for him to attend disgraced Chief Executive Donald Tsang’s second bribery trial last year in an apparent attempt to influence the jury.

High Court judge Andrew Chan had on Tuesday expressed concerns about the apparent practice of bringing high-profile supporters to the courtroom, suggesting that the motive for doing so is to convince the jury “through the back door” that the defendant is of good character.

Chan had named Wong as one of the public figures who were arranged to sit in the area of the public gallery reserved for Tsang’s family and friends.

But Wong hit back on Wednesday, releasing a statement stating that the allegation is “factually incorrect”, and that he had attended a hearing in October on his “own initiative” to give encouragement and moral support to his former colleague and personal friend.

He said he was not taken to court by any public relations firm or consultant either on that occasion or when he attended a previous hearing during Tsang’s first trial last January.