New allegations against Ching

Labour candidate Steven Ching is alleged to have offered to use his Government connections to have a friend appointed as a justice of the peace.

Chinese broadcaster Paul Liu says he refused a request from Ching for a $50,000 loan in exchange.

Ching resigned as a JP after Herald on Sunday revelations led to the discovery of two undisclosed convictions, but the Labour Party says his winnable place on the party list is secure.

Ching, 63, is a top party fundraiser on the cusp of becoming Labour's first Chinese MP. Mr Liu confirmed he had helped Mr Ching host a major party fundraising meeting at an Auckland restaurant in 2002.

The Herald on Sunday has an affidavit sworn by Mr Ching's former employee, Lau Siew Fei, in which she says she was at the meeting between Mr Ching and Mr Liu at which money was discussed. The affidavit alleges Mr Ching drafted up the JP application forms and offered to use his position to obtain the signatures of two Labour MPs for the forms.

Mr Liu confirmed that Mr Ching had asked him for money at a meeting at the Hwa An Trust in Dominion Rd, but said he had refused.

Mr Ching had tried to persuade him to become a JP and support his election campaign, but Mr Liu said he had "refused" to sign the forms. "He wanted me to consider but I reject," he said.

"He gave me the whole document. He did say (two Labour MPs) would support it... I thought JP would be good, but I didn't want to do it that way.

"He wanted to borrow $50,000 from me. I say I can't borrow any money to him."

The two MPs are understood to have been unaware of the alleged offer, and the form was never presented to them for their signatures.

Mr Ching ducked questions about the meeting. "There are many, many friends, they wish to become a JP, but that's my friends, they have rights," Mr Ching said.

Asked whether he remembered seeking money or otherwise discussing money with Mr Liu, he said: "I don't want to answer you yes, I don't want to answer you no."

He referred all other questions to his lawyer, Raymond Huo, but Mr Huo did not return calls.

Mr Liu's business partner at World TV, Gary Kuo Min Chang, said he was also present for meetings at both Mr Ching's Dominion Rd office and at Mr Liu's office.

He confirmed that Mr Liu had initially been amenable to becoming a JP, but had then changed his mind.

He said he had arrived late and was not present for any discussions involving money, but Mr Liu had subsequently asked for his advice on giving Mr Ching a loan. He had advised against it.

"Paul Liu asked me, I said you decide by yourself," Mr Chang said. "He wanted to borrow some money from him. I said, you don't borrow money to Steven Ching."

Ms Lau said she hoped the Labour council dropped Mr Ching from its list.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY