Prosecutor focuses on Mak’s lies
A federal prosecutor Thursday bore down on a Chinese American engineer’s lies and contradictions in a case in which he is accused of illegally sending military information to China and being an intelligence agent.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Gregory W. Staples raised few questions in the Santa Ana trial about the three computer disks that Chi Mak tried to send to China that are at the center of the case against him.
The disks contained information about an electric-powered propulsion system for warships, a solid-state power switch for ships and a PowerPoint presentation on the future of power electronics.
Mak had testified that he thought it was permissible to send the documents to three friends in China because the unclassified information they contained had been presented at three engineering symposiums open to foreigners.
Prosecutors said the data was sensitive and embargoed from shipment to China. Prosecutors said one of the friends was an intelligence agent for the People’s Republic of China.
During three days on the witness stand, Mak conceded lying to investigators about family and friends in China, the number of trips he made there and on immigration forms and papers he filed to gain a secret clearance.
Staples zeroed in on the lies.
“Mr. Mak, you’re a liar, aren’t you?” Staples said.
No, Mak replied calmly.
Staples pressed Mak about his lies to investigators when he was arrested. Mak said he was under pressure and afraid.
“You just don’t lie when you’re under pressure,” Staples said. “You lie when you want to get a benefit, don’t you?”
“I did not tell the full truth,” the defendant replied.
Mak remained composed during a two-hour cross examination, smiling occasionally.
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