THE contents of documents which led a magistrate to reject Albert Yeung's application for costs remained secret yesterday.
Jonathan Acton-Bond refused to make a ruling until he had seen the original statements made by prosecution witnesses to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
The case was delayed for 45 minutes while the documents were brought to Western Court and read by Mr Acton-Bond.
Before seeing them, he said: 'At the moment, I find it difficult to see how the contents of the statements are necessarily going to improve the case for the prosecution. But there certainly is that possibility.' He added: 'I would be failing in my duty to them if, despite my misgivings, I don't actually look at that material.' John Griffiths QC, defending, told the magistrate it was not appropriate for details of the statements to be read out in court.
After studying the new material, Mr Acton-Bond refused the costs' application.
Mr Griffiths, with the agreement of prosecutor Alan Lucas, had asked the magistrate to confine his ruling on the application for costs to a simple 'yes or no'.