crime · HK01

Abby Choi Trial Hears Mother and Husband Testimony

HK01 · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago4 MIN

Summary

The High Court proceedings over the killing of Abby Choi have moved through a fifth day of evidence from her mother, Cheung Yin-fa, and a third day from her husband, Chris Tam Fong-chun. Cheung rejected defence claims that she owed gambling debts, denied that Choi had taken out a second mortgage to help repay them, and said a 370,000-dollar payment discussed in messages came from asset sales rather than from former son-in-law Kwong Kong-chi. Tam, meanwhile, was questioned about family dynamics, childcare, property arrangements and his changing view of former brother-in-law Kwong Kong-kit after the murder charge emerged. The three accused all deny murder, while two have admitted preventing lawful burial of Choi’s body and one denies that charge.

Key Points

The three accused are former brother-in-law Kwong Kong-kit, 35, former father-in-law Kwong Kau, 69, and former husband Kwong Kong-chi, 32, over Choi’s killing on 21 February 2023.
All three deny murder; Kwong Kong-kit and Kwong Kong-chi admit preventing lawful burial of Choi’s body between 21 and 23 February 2023, while Kwong Kau denies that charge.
Cheung Yin-fa angrily rejected suggestions that Kwong Kong-chi had a successful mainland business, saying he did nothing and spent money provided by Abby Choi.
Cheung said more than HK$370,000 mentioned in voice messages came from the sale of a Shenzhen seven-seater vehicle and remittances linked to a Hainan property sale.
Chris Tam said Choi was a very responsible mother, usually staying until the children were asleep, though former mother-in-law Lee Sui-heung helped care for them.
Cheung told the court she had no debts, only occasionally played mahjong at licensed venues, and said wins and losses could reach HK$80,000 to HK$100,000 per session, about twice a week.
She denied defence claims that Choi had taken out a second mortgage on the Manhattan Hill flat to repay her gambling debts, and also denied that Kwong Kong-chi had ever helped settle such debts.
When shown photos of her AA-plate private car splashed with red paint, Cheung said police had investigated, arrested a suspect and found the incident was not linked to any money she owed.
A police witness, Ko Yan-kei, said Cheung had told him she once had a money dispute with a woman she used to play mahjong with at a gambling den, but that the pair had settled accounts seven years earlier, even though threatening calls continued.
Cheung also accepted that she had once said she owed Kwong Kong-chi HK$150,000, but explained that he had bought things for her over the years and she had also spent money on him, accusing him of being ungrateful for keeping score over a relatively small sum.
On business matters, Cheung disputed defence claims that Kwong Kong-chi had restaurant and property investments in Guangzhou, saying she had seen no real business activity and believed a woman known as “Sister Ling” was the one running the restaurant.
Tam was also questioned about photos and videos involving Kwong Kong-kit and Choi, including a birthday cake with an “18” topper, which he said was simply to please her because women liked being called 18.
Asked whether Kwong Kong-kit had any reason to harm Choi, Tam said that, at the time, he believed there was no such reason, but after the case unfolded he now found everything frightening.
Tam confirmed his family had promised Choi a flat as a wedding gift and that the Manhattan Hill unit was transferred to her in 2018 after the family moved to a detached house in Kowloon Tong.
He also said disagreements between Choi and former mother-in-law Lee over childcare were normal, but maintained that parents, especially the mother, remained the children’s central figures.

Why It Matters

The testimony shows the trial is not only about the events surrounding Abby Choi’s death, but also about competing accounts of money, family dependence and control within two interconnected households. For Hong Kong readers, the evidence being tested in open court may shape how the jury assesses credibility, motive and the significance of long-running financial and domestic disputes.