Journalist ‘spoke to sources’ before publishing article on Chau Chak Wing

Former Fairfax journalist says he spoke to three sources before publishing article linking Chau Chak Wing to $200,000 bribe.

Chinese Australian billionaire Chau Chak Wing. Picture: AAP.

A former Fairfax Media journalist has defended an article he wrote alleging Chinese billionaire Chau Chak Wing may have been behind a $200,000 bribe to a senior United Nations official, telling a court he spoke to former Australian intelligence analyst Roger Uren and two confidential sources before publishing.

John Garnaut, the organisation’s former Asia Pacific editor who has advised Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on foreign policy, said he called Mr Uren when he suspected a “Chinese businessman” named only as CC-3, who was an alleged co-conspirator in the bribery of former UN official John Ashe, was Mr Chau.

Mr Uren’s wife, Sheri Yan, was arrested and has been jailed over the bribe.

“(Mr Uren) told me he believed the FBI were being racially discriminatory, and that partly affected their zeal,” Garnaut told a Sydney Federal Court today.

“I left that conversation believing there was no doubt in Roger Uren’s mind that Chau was personally the source of the bribes.”

A story Garnaut wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald website, published on October 15, 2015, is the subject of a defamation action brought by Mr Chau.

Garnaut said he spoke to two further sources for the story: one who had a “senior role” in the Australian government, including in international relations, and another who was a recently retired senior Australian government official.

Garnaut told Justice Michael Wigney he believed there was public interest in the story he wrote.

“I thought there was enormous public interest. Dr Chau was a substantial figure with close interactions with politicians and officials,” he said. “If it turned out he was complicit in bribery, it would colour his interactions in Australia.”

He denied the article intended to convey Mr Chau was behind the bribe.

“I thought it was probably true,” he said, “but it was not my purpose to be prosecution, judge and jury.”

Garnaut also denied Mr Chau needed to be concerned about extradition to the United States or that his business empire in Australia was built on bribes.

Mr Chau, who gave evidence earlier this week and has watched proceedings with his daughter Winky, is suing Fairfax Media and Garnaut for damages.

The hearing continues.