Key facts
- Choi's mother testified her daughter's ex-brother-in-law, Anthony Kwong, was a "bootlicker" who secured funding for a waffle shop.
- Prosecutors stated money was the root cause of the 2023 murder and dismemberment of socialite Abby Choi.
- Choi's ex-husband Alex Kwong, his brother Anthony Kwong, and father Kwong Kau pleaded not guilty to murder.
- Choi provided significant financial support to the Kwong family, including a HK$60 million apartment.
- The decision to sell the apartment led to a dispute and alleged murder plot.
- Body parts were found at a Hong Kong property with tools for dismemberment.
The mother of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi testified that her daughter's former brother-in-law was a "bootlicker" who persuaded her to fund an egg waffle shop and hire him as a driver months before her death. Cheung Yin-fa told the court that Anthony Kwong Kong-kit frequently sought financial support from Choi before he allegedly joined his father and younger brother in a plot to murder her in February 2023.
Prosecutors told the court that a family dispute over money was the "root cause" behind the killing and dismemberment of Choi. Her ex-husband Alex Kwong, his brother Anthony Kwong, and their father Kwong Kau have pleaded not guilty to murder charges. Prosecutor Charlotte Draycott highlighted the wealth disparity between Choi and her former in-laws, stating that arguments over finances and Choi's plan to sell a luxury apartment set in motion the alleged plot.
Choi, who was no longer married to Alex Kwong at the time of her murder, had continued to provide financial support to the Kwong family, including a HK$60 million apartment registered in Kwong Kau's name, partly because they helped care for her two children with Alex Kwong. The relationship soured in 2022 when Choi decided to sell the apartment and move her in-laws. Choi had reportedly called her former father-in-law a "crook" and "ungrateful," while he allegedly threatened to kill her and her family if she proceeded with the sale.
Prosecutors allege Kwong Kau plotted to murder Choi to retain ownership of the apartment and enlisted his two sons in the plan. Days before Choi went missing on February 21, 2023, the defendants allegedly purchased equipment, including a mincing machine, that was later used to dismember her body. Body parts believed to be hers were discovered three days later at a house in the Tai Po district, along with a meat slicer, an electric saw, and clothing.