The so-called "Prince of White Flower Oil," who
is standing trial on two charges of indecently assaulting male taxi
drivers, admitted yesterday he is bisexual.Stephen Gan Fock-wai also acknowledged touching the thigh and genitals of one of the alleged victims.
However, he claimed his advances were not rejected.
Testifying
before Eastern Court Magistrate Winston Leung Wing- chung, Gan recalled
the events of October 10, 2007, during which he fondled the 34-year-old
male taxi driver.
Gan was sitting on the front passenger's seat in the cab and had just dropped off his friends in Causeway Bay.
An
aspiring singer, he said it was the first time he had accosted a taxi
driver, adding this was because he was still overwhelmed by the joy of
holding his maiden concert the night before. He had also been drinking.
"[The
driver] seemed to be very excited to see me, and said if I wasn't too
tired, he could drive me around," said Gan, 46, chief executive and heir
of medical oil manufacturer, Pak Fah Yeow International. "That led me
to believe he must be a fan of mine, otherwise he wouldn't try to retain
me." Gan testified he tried to show his interest in taking their
acquaintance further by first putting his right hand - holding a HK$100
note - near the driver's thigh.
When he met with no resistance, he rested the back of his hand on the driver's left thigh.
Gan
said when they were on Mount Butler Road where the light was dim, he
moved his hand upward and touched the driver's genitals. He insisted his
actions were not spurned.
Gan said he later invited the driver to
go home with him to one of his residences at The First Mansion,
Causeway Bay, and the driver agreed.
The driver had testified
Tuesday that he did it on a request by Gan, who claimed to be too
drunk. But he had told Gan he would not enter the apartment.
Gan disagreed, saying the driver appeared to be disappointed when he found out he had the wrong key.
"He told me `open the door quickly Little Fock [Gan's nickname], I'm scared,"' Gan said.
In
order to compensate for the disappointment, Gan said he replaced the
HK$100 bill with a HK$500 bill after they returned to the taxi and
headed to another of his residences at Park Towers in Tin Hau.
"I didn't intend to get into a [sex transaction] involving money," Gan said. "The HK$500 bill was for the taxi fare."
When the taxi was near Park Towers, Gan said he touched the driver's genitals again.
He said the driver agreed to wait for him to get his key, but when he returned, the vehicle was gone.
"I was very sure he was interested in me ... I felt he was consenting [to the touching]," Gan said.
Gan
said he could not recall ever hiring the taxi driven by another alleged
male victim, who claimed Gan had sexually assaulted him and reached
into his pants on November 30, 2003.
