Lai on Wednesday also tried to distance himself from the “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” (SWHK) international lobbying group, but admitted he had multiple meetings with one of its key members in the hopes he could convince protesters to stage demonstrations without resorting to violence.
The former media boss, in an online talk show hosted by former lawmaker Albert Ho Chun-yan, reportedly said he had asked the American government to sanction the Beijing and Hong Kong leaders by freezing their overseas financial assets and preventing their children from studying in their country.
Lai was also said to have expressed a desire for Beijing and Hong Kong officials to realise they would bear consequences for their “wrong acts” so that they would not be so “arrogant”.
West Kowloon Court heard the remarks were contained in an Apple Daily report published shortly after the online talk programme was aired, but the video could no longer be found.
