Karaoke girl tells magazine of night with top Hong Kong official

Jul 11, 2007, 4:21 GMT

Hong Kong - A call girl who was photographed with Hong Kong's director of public broadcasting last week revealed all Wednesday of their encounter that cost him his job.

Chu Pui-hing, 59, director of public broadcaster RTHK, announced his early retirement Monday, four days after he was photographed hiding behind Coco Lau as they left a karaoke bar together.

The married father of two fled the photographers and locked himself in a restaurant toilet while 21-year-old Lau, an exotic dancer from mainland China, smiled happily for the cameras.

In an interview with Hong Kong's Eastweek magazine published Wednesday, Lau said that Chu paid 10,000 Hong Kong dollars (1,279 US dollars) for her to leave the karaoke bar where she worked with him.

She said Chu 'repeatedly praised her beauty and kept his hands on her breasts' as they sat together with his businessman friend and another girl. They also played a drinking game which involved Chu taking large shots of whiskey when he lost.

Chu paid for her to do an exotic dance then paid money to the karaoke bar manager for her to leave the club with him. They then ran into a group of photographers who recognised him as they headed towards Lau's apartment nearby, she said.

In the photographs, Chu attempted to hide behind Lau before fleeing. They went to a restaurant together, she said, where Chu called a friend and told him, using an expletive: 'This is big trouble.'

Chu, who has headed RTHK since 1999, at first offered a public apology for his 'inappropriate behaviour,' claiming he was caught by surprise at the sight of the photographers.

However, as the scandal rumbled on and more revelations about Lau emerged, Chu said Monday he would step down 'as soon as possible,' saying staff morale had been affected.

RTHK has been embroiled in political controversy in recent years over government proposals to transform its role as a public broadcaster, a role it has conducted for 79 years.

Senior government officials including chief executive Donald Tsang have expressed concern at the broadcaster's sometimes too independent stance, and want it to become more of an official information tool.