A career criminal facing his own murder charges had every reason to make a deal with police and prosecutors, according to Nick Chan's lawyer at his first-degree murder trial.

Chan is accused in the shooting death of Sanjeev Mann, a rival gangster who was killed — along with two others — at the Bolsa Restaurant on New Years Day, 2009.

The prosecution's star witness, who can only be identified as GH, has been testifying for the past three days.

On Wednesday, Chan's lawyer, Dick Cairns began his cross examination.

GH made a deal that did not involve pleading guilty to any of the murders he had committed. He will be eligible for parole in May.

"To avoid prosecution you had to give them something they wanted, right?" asked Cairns.

GH said "Yes."

Cairns questioned GH about the timing of his immunity agreement as well as the structure of the gang his client is accused of leading.

GH testified on Monday that Chan implemented a payment system for crimes against FK members that ranged from a few hundred dollars for an assault to $10,000 for a murder.

Today, under cross-examination, GH confirmed to Cairns that he initially told police in a 2013 statement that he'd never been paid for his crimes.

Between 2002 and 2009, 25 people were killed in a bloody gang war between the FOB and FK gangs.

FK gang member Sanjeev Mann was the intended target of the Bolsa Restaurant murders on January 1, 2009. (Court exhibit )

Though he's not alleged to have pulled the trigger, Chan is accused of orchestrating the Bolsa Restaurant killings as retaliation after friend and former FOB member, Roger Chin was shot and killed in 2008.

On Tuesday, GH testified that he and Chan met in December 2008 and that Chan wanted Mann killed.

"He made it very clear that Mann was a high priority target and that he wanted me to kill him," said GH.

After asking questions about the structure of the FOB gang, GH told Cairns there were "core members" each with their own drug businesses and underlings.