Abby Choi’s mother tells court former in-laws lived off socialite’s family wealth

The mother of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung has accused her former in-laws of living off her family’s wealth without contributing anything to her grandchildren.

Cheung Yin-fa testified in the High Court on Monday about the relationship between her daughter, ex-son-in-law Alex Kwong Kong-chi, and his family in the years leading up to the influencer’s slaying in February 2023.

Kwong, 31, his father Kwong Kau, 68, and elder brother Anthony Kwong Kong-kit, 35, are standing trial after pleading not guilty to a joint count of murder.

Kwong Kau, a retired police sergeant, also denied preventing the lawful burial of Choi’s body between February 21 and 23. His two sons pleaded guilty to the offence before the trial.

Cheung, the first prosecution witness to give evidence, said the Kwongs were “penniless” and had never treated her family to a meal or bought infant formula for Choi’s two children.

“Never did [the Kwongs] buy a single tin of baby milk formula for their grandchild ... I have never been treated to a meal by Kwong Kau’s family, not even yum cha,” she said.

The witness also said Alex Kwong was skilled at coaxing others into doing him favours. After his divorce from Choi, Kwong, who was wanted for a HK$6.3 million theft case, successfully convinced his ex-wife to lend him her credit card to cover his living expenses in mainland China while he was evading justice.

The killing allegedly arose from a family feud over the sale of a HK$72 million flat at the upscale Kadooria residential complex in Ho Man Tin. Kwong Kau, the property’s registered owner, reportedly resented Choi for trying to sell the flat and enlisted his two sons to help kill the influencer so that he could keep it for himself.

Prosecutors suggested in their opening statement that money could be the reason for the crime, highlighting the significant wealth gap between the two families.

The trial continues before Deputy Judge Brian Keith and a nine-member jury.