The judge will only hand down sentence on December 10 until another Lai case in the high court has been disposed of.

Lai, 74, and Wong Wai-keung, 59, administrative director of Next Digital, the parent company of the now-defunct Apple Daily, were appearing before Stanley Chan Kwong-chi in court.

Wong was granted bail.

Lai was convicted of two counts of fraud on October 25. He was found to have breached lease terms for Apple Daily's offices by concealing Dico Consultants operations from Hong Kong Science and Technology Park Corp from April 1, 1998, to May 19, 2020. Wong was found guilty on one count of fraud between January 1, 2016, and May 19, 2020.

Lawyer Derek Chan Ching-lung said Lai's offense could not be called complex or meticulous as Dico's company registration clearly lists Apple Daily's Tseung Kwan O headquarters as its address.

He also said Dico's office occupied only 0.16 percent of Apple Daily's total area, adding that Lai just "acted for convenience only."

The judge said "they charged [Dico] full price it seemed like [Dico] was not his company."

Wong, in mitigation, is said to have been suffering from heart disease, depression, and anxiety.