Hong Kong - The Hong Kong pop star at the centre of a sex photos scandal is to testify against the man accused of downloading pictures from his computer in Canada, a news report said Wednesday.

Edison Chen, 28, has refused to return to Hong Kong for court proceedings surrounding the pictures showing him with a string of naked young starlets that circulated on the internet early last year.

A deal has now been reached for Chen to give evidence instead at a five-day hearing in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on February 23, the South China Morning Post reported.

The case caused an international sensation and the pictures, allegedly stolen from Chen's laptop when he took it in for repairs, were viewed by millions of fans in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan.

Chen's refusal to return to Hong Kong has stalled the trial of computer technician Sze Ho-chun, 23, accused of distributing the photos of Chen performing sex acts with well-known starlets.

Sze, who will not appear at the hearing in Canada, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of obtaining access to a computer with a view to making a dishonest gain.

He will go on trial in Hong Kong in April, the newspaper reported, and Chen's testimony from the Canadian court hearing will be presented as part of the prosecution case.

Chen, who was forced to apologize to the starlets and announce his retirement from showbiz, was named one of Hong Kong's People of 2008 in a radio poll last week. (dpa)