Lam is the only one of the five – four of them having returned to Hong Kong – to give a full account of his disappearance in an unvetted press appearance last week.

But that was soon followed by a series of counterattacks contained in Hong Kong newspaper Sing Tao Daily from the Ningbo government, Lam’s former business partners and his mainland girlfriend.

In a series of interviews he gave local and international media on Sunday, Lam did not rebut what they said about him. It would cause more harm to those who were either on the mainland or had relatives there, he said.

On his girlfriend, he said: “We had plans to get married last year. She knows I love her.”

Citing an interrogator after he was nabbed by agents from a central special investigative unit when he crossed into Shenzhen last October, he said: “They planned to hand down a sentence against Gui Minhai some time between September and December this year, and the rest of us would face no punishment.”

Gui, a Swedish national, vanished in Pattaya, Thailand.

The investigation officers never told him what books in particular had angered the government, Lam said.

Asked whether his stunning exposé could have an impact on their fate, Lam admitted that could lead to “deferment”, but repeated his previous assertion that Hongkongers’ support made him determined to speak out.

Gui is believed to remain in custody in Ningbo, where he was facing a probe into a fatal traffic accident 12 years ago as well as his publishing business.

His daughter, Angela, released a statement praising Lam as a brave man, and called on the central government to ensure Gui’s safe return home.

Three of his associates, though, accused Lam of lying, with one dismissing his claim that they had been forced to read from scripts in televised confessions.

Lam’s girlfriend was much harsher.

“He is not like a man,” Sing Tao Daily quoted her as saying on Sunday. “He has completely ruined the image of Hong Kong’s men.”

The woman, who lives on the mainland and only gave her surname as Hu, said Lam had lied to her about the legality of books that she had helped him mail to his mainland clients.

Lam said he expected her to say that but refused to comment further. He added that two others had also helped him mail books but later got into trouble.

Lam, 61, said he had thought of ending his life earlier this year. “The detention drove you crazy,” he said. “I thought of hanging myself with my clothes, but there was no pillar.”

That was soon before he was transferred from Ningbo to Shaoguan in northern Guangdong, where he received relatively lighter treatment, he said.

The controversy began when bookseller Lee Po disappeared from Hong Kong last year. Lee has denied telling Lam that he had also been abducted. Lam said he understood Lee’s position but stuck by his claim.

Expressing confidence in his safety, Lam cited the fact that Hong Kong did not have an extradition treaty with the mainland. “I feel 99.9 per cent safe,” he said.

He rejected a suggestion by Democratic Party lawmaker Albert Ho Chun-yan, who arranged his press conference on Friday, that he should seek asylum with the US government.

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, who has remained silent on the issue since he has been on holiday, has arranged a media session on Monday morning.

Additional reporting by Ng Kang-chung