The former father-in-law of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung has testified in court regarding a failed loan repayment and his involvement in legal matters following her murder. Tam Chak-kwan, founder of the restaurant chain TamJai Yunnan Mixian, appeared at the High Court to give evidence related to his interactions with Kwong Kau, the accused ex-father-in-law of Choi’s former husband.
Kwong Kau, 68, and his two sons, Anthony Kwong Kong-kit, 35, and Alex Kwong Kong-chi, 31—who is also Choi’s ex-husband—are on trial over the February 2023 killing of the 28-year-old influencer. Kwong is alleged to have orchestrated the murder after Choi attempted to sell a HK$72 million flat at the luxury Kadooria complex in Ho Man Tin, which was registered under his name. The elder Kwong, a retired police sergeant, faces charges of murder and perverting the course of justice. His sons have pleaded guilty to the latter charge.
During his testimony, Tam said that his family’s wealth grew substantially after the sale of his business to a Japanese company for HK$1 billion. He described this as a notable achievement. Tam recounted his close relationship with Choi, noting that despite her being a divorcee with two children, his family had a positive and accepting stance toward her. He said he provided Choi with a HK$41 million flat at Manhattan Hill in Lai Chi Kok as well as over HK$80 million for investments. Additionally, Tam and his wife bought luxury gifts for Choi, including handbags and jewelry.
Tam explained that they entrusted Choi with managing family finances due to her maturity and organizational skills, contrasting these with his son’s perceived lack of seriousness in work during his youth. The witness also revealed that Tam’s father helped him settle a HK$5 million gambling debt incurred by Tam and members of the Kwong family during a Macau trip in August 2021. Tam believed part of the payment to debt collectors, approximately HK$6 million, included “tea money” — a term referring to gratuities often paid to individuals with underworld connections to stop harassment.
Tam testified that in early 2022 he was confronted by several men demanding repayment, which led him to contact Kwong Kau. The elder Tam claimed that after police investigations stalled, Kwong Kau offered to resolve the issue through “people in the underworld,” but Tam insisted on using legal channels instead. He then transferred HK$5 million to Kwong Kau’s personal bank account and paid HK$450,000 as “tea money,” along with roughly HK$60,000 for legal fees related to repaying the debt.
In December 2022, Tam said Kwong Kau requested a HK$400,000 loan, citing a frozen bank account triggered by a commercial crime bureau investigation into the previous transfer. Tam lent him HK$250,000 but said he never expected repayment. He added that Choi had warned him Kwong was unreliable but he chose to assist due to Kwong’s prior help with the debt collectors. Kwong’s lawyer suggested Tam voluntarily lent money after hearing about the account freeze, a claim Tam denied.
Following Choi’s murder revelation, Tam received a handwritten letter from Kwong via a law firm clerk, in which Kwong described himself as a man of integrity and pleaded for legal assistance, saying he lacked funds and had been denied bail. Kwong referred to Tam as a “very good friend” in the letter. The trial is ongoing.