'Staff couldn't say no to Jimmy Lai's orders'
The national security trial of Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai on Monday heard that staff of the now-defunct outlet must follow “without choice” the editorial policy set out by their former boss. During cross-examination by the defence, former publisher Cheung Kim-hung described Lai as someone he could not say no to. The court heard that Cheung and other senior executives shared the same values as Lai, such as freedom of expression and freedom of the press, and believed the media should serve as the fourth estate to monitor the government. But Cheung dismissed a suggestion from senior counsel Robert Pang, who’s representing the defendant, that the editorial policy of Apple Daily was based on those shared values.  “For example, on the extradition bill, Lai’s editorial policy was to urge people to take to the streets and demonstrate, putting pressure on the government to revoke the ordinance,” Cheung said. “This was not purely about freedom, democracy or freedom of expression, but it was about the approach the newspaper should take.”  The ex-publisher added he did not believe that Apple Daily staff would produce such reports without a clear editorial policy set by its founder. The court also heard a charter for the newspaper stipulated there was editorial independence.  “It was an idea for us to have editorial independence. But for Lai’s editorial policy, it was what he ordered and we had to follow without choice,” Cheung said. Separately, Pang argued that Apple Daily had taken “a very strong stance on political issues” prior to 2014 – the year in which the court previously heard that Lai had begun to be actively involved in the newspaper’s editorial decisions – presenting four articles published before that year. “There was a sea change in Apple Daily in 2014. It was no longer about calling on people every June 4 and July 1 to take part in candlelight vigils and processions,” Cheung said in response, adding that in 2014 Lai was behind a campaign to promote an unofficial referendum on universal suffrage and voiced opposition to a white paper on One Country, Two Systems by central authorities. Cheung is among six former staff who admitted to conspiracy to commit collusion. Lai has denied three conspiracy charges relating to collusion with foreign forces and sedition. The trial continues on Tuesday.