The mother of slain socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung testified that a HK$72 million apartment was never intended as a gift to her former in-laws, and accused them of relying on her family’s wealth without contributing to the upbringing of her grandchildren.
Cheung Vin-fa spoke at the Hong Kong High Court on Tuesday, recounting the deteriorating relationship between her family and her ex-son-in-law Alex Kwong Kong-chi and his relatives following the couple’s 2015 separation. The dispute over the luxury flat located in the Kadouria complex in Ho Man Tin emerged as a central issue in the murder trial.
Kwong, 31; his father Kwong Kau, 68, and elder brother Anthony Kwong Kong-kit, 35, are on trial charged with the February 2023 murder of Choi, a model and social media influencer. Kwong Kau, a retired police sergeant, further faces an additional charge of preventing the lawful burial of Choi’s body, which he has denied. His two sons have pleaded guilty to that separate charge.
Cheung described the Kwong family as financially dependent on her late daughter’s wealth. “Never did [the Kwongs] buy a single tin of baby milk formula for their grandchild,” she said. Cheung added that the Kwongs had never hosted her family for a meal or contributed to childcare costs, despite frequent interactions over the years.
The court heard that Alex Kwong had received more than HK$70 million from Choi for investments in luxury watches, which ultimately generated no profit. According to Cheung, her daughter ceased funding these investments after repeated losses.
Prosecutors have suggested that the murder was motivated by disputes over the sale of the expensive flat, which is registered to Kwong Kau. It is alleged that resentment toward Choi’s attempt to sell the property led Kwong Kau to conspire with his sons to kill her, in an effort to keep the asset within the family. The prosecution highlighted the stark wealth disparity between the two families as a possible catalyst for the crime.
Choi’s stepfather, Choi Cho-san, formerly ran multiple Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong before relocating to his native Hainan province in 2004. Despite the move, he continued providing a substantial monthly allowance exceeding HK$11 million to support Cheung, Choi, and her two stepsisters.
Cheung testified that she first met Kwong when her then-15-year-old daughter brought him home after they met at an international school. She portrayed the Kwong family as largely idle, noting that Kwong Kau worked as a taxi driver after leaving the police force, while the mother and elder brother did not hold employment.
Choi and Alex Kwong began dating at age 17, soon living together and having their first son in 2013, followed by marriage later that year. Despite the couple’s separation in 2015, Cheung said both families maintained cordial relations and frequently traveled together with their grandchildren, with the Kwongs paying only for their own airfare.
Afterward, Choi entered a relationship with former schoolmate Chris Tam Fong-chun, from a wealthy family, and held a wedding banquet in 2016 though they did not formally register their marriage.
The trial is ongoing before Deputy Judge Brian Keith and a jury of nine members.