During the 12th day of the murder trial regarding the 2023 dismemberment of Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung (蔡天鳳), her mother provided testimony detailing extensive financial friction and deep material reliance between Choi and her ex-husband’s family.
During the defense cross-examination, Choi's mother, Cheung Yin-fa, described how her daughter routinely funded the living expenses of her former father-in-law, Kwong Kau, and his family.
Cheung refuted defense claims that Kwong personally owned luxury assets—including a Rolls-Royce, a secondary vehicle, and properties in Kadoorie Hill and Hainan Island.
Instead, she stated that Choi bought the high-end vehicle for around six to seven million Hong Kong dollars using credit cards and cash, placing properties under Kwong's name purely as a matter of trust.
Cheung dismissed suggestions that Kwong was a man of independent means, testifying that his family struggled with basic household costs and lived off Choi's generosity.
She alleged that Choi provided monthly stipends to Kwong and paid all domestic expenses for his household, including driver fees, maid salaries, and utility costs, which totaled roughly HK$260,000 each month. Cheung added that Choi once covered over HK$200,000 in emergency medical bills on her credit card when Kwong fell critically ill, saving his life.
According to Cheung, conflicts escalated when Choi and her family recognized the former father-in-law's true motives and sought to reclaim ownership of the real estate held under his name.
She recounted that Kwong initially refused to sign power-of-attorney documents to sell the Hainan property, forcing Choi to initiate legal steps and threaten to sever all family relations before he relented. Cheung noted that Kwong frequently displayed a volatile demeanor and threatened violence during these asset disputes.
Cheung also addressed line-of-questioning regarding financial incidents involving Choi's current husband, Chris Tam. Responding to defense queries about a past HK$5 million gambling debt incurred by Tam in Macau, Cheung clarified that Choi was not the one gambling and affirmed that Tam's father ultimately settled the debt in full.
The prosecution centers on the alleged murder of 28-year-old Choi at a village home in Lung Mei, Tai Po, in February 2023. Choi’s former husband, Alex Kwong, his brother Anthony Kwong, and their father Kwong Kau are jointly charged with murder and preventing the lawful burial of a body.
All three defendants have denied the murder charge. Alex Kwong and Anthony Kwong have pleaded guilty to preventing a lawful burial, while Kwong Kau has pleaded not guilty to that charge.
