Abby Choi’s mother told Hong Kong’s High Court that her daughter’s former husband, Alex Kwong Kong-chi, spent money recklessly, failed to establish a meaningful business on the mainland and relied on the socialite for financial support. Her testimony came on the 14th day of the murder trial, as defence lawyers challenged her account of the family’s financial dealings and a bitter property dispute.
Kwong, his father, Kwong Kau, and his elder brother, Kwong Kong-kit, have pleaded not guilty to murdering Choi, whose remains were discovered in a village house in Tai Po in 2023. The latest proceedings focused on alleged business investments, a HK$370,370 financial transfer and disagreements over the sale of a property that Choi’s mother said had fuelled repeated arguments from 2022.
Abby Choi’s Mother Says Ex Husband Relied on Her Financially
During cross examination, Choi’s mother maintained that Kwong had depended financially on her daughter. She rejected suggestions from the defence that her testimony had been tailored to support the prosecution’s case.
Asked about Kwong’s business activities on the mainland, she said she had observed what he was doing but did not believe he had established a meaningful business.
Her testimony challenged the suggestion that Kwong had developed successful commercial ventures capable of explaining the financial arrangements between him and Choi.
The defence also questioned her account that Choi had invested approximately HK$70 million in Kwong’s ventures. Lawyers asked about the scale of the alleged investment and raised questions about Choi’s decision to provide such a substantial amount despite being a capable businesswoman.
Choi’s mother stood by her account. She told the court that the money had come from her daughter and that Choi had not recovered the funds.
The alleged HK$70 million investment remains part of the testimony being examined in court. The witness’s claims must be assessed alongside the defence’s challenges and the other evidence presented during the trial.
HK$370,370 Transfer Comes Under Scrutiny
The defence also questioned Choi’s mother about a transfer involving HK$370,370 and asked about the source and purpose of the money.
She said the funds came from the sale of a vehicle or property in Hainan. She denied the suggestion that Kwong had given her the money to repay gambling debts.
Her response rejected the defence’s proposed explanation for the transaction and maintained that the funds originated from the sale she described.
The exchange formed part of a wider examination of the financial dealings between Choi, her former husband and their families. Defence lawyers questioned the witness’s account as they sought to test her recollection of transactions and her claims about Kwong’s financial dependence on Choi.
The financial evidence has also brought attention to the alleged investments in Kwong’s ventures and the disputed property sale. Together, these issues have provided the court with details of the disagreements that Choi’s mother said had developed within the family.
Property Dispute Sparked Repeated Arguments in 2022
Choi’s mother told the court that Kwong had not previously been violent towards her daughter. However, she said the former couple began arguing frequently in 2022 over a proposed property sale.
According to her testimony, members of the Kwong family initially opposed the sale. She said she told Kwong that the disagreement could be settled through the courts if the parties failed to reach an agreement.
She later understood that Kwong had taken his father to sign an authorisation document connected to the matter.
The defence presented a different interpretation of Kwong’s actions. Lawyers suggested that he had shown a willingness to proceed with the sale by taking his father to a law firm in October 2022.
Choi’s mother disputed that suggestion. She maintained that Kwong agreed only after being pressured.
The disagreement over the property has become an important part of the testimony because it sheds light on the tensions between the families before Choi’s death. However, the competing accounts do not by themselves establish a connection between the property dispute and the alleged murder.
Mother Denies Targeting Kwong Family Out of Hostility
Defence lawyers also challenged Choi’s mother over her motives, suggesting that she had implicated Kwong because of hostility towards his father.
She rejected the allegation and maintained that the family had resisted the property sale from the outset.
Her response directly addressed the defence’s questions about her credibility. The lawyers sought to establish whether personal grievances had influenced her description of the financial arrangements and the events surrounding the property dispute.
Choi’s mother insisted that her evidence reflected her understanding of what had happened. She also maintained that Kwong had relied on Choi financially and that her daughter had not recovered the money allegedly invested in his ventures.
The court must consider these claims alongside the defence’s challenges and the wider evidence presented by both sides.
What Happens Next in the Abby Choi Murder Trial?
Choi’s remains were discovered in a Tai Po village house in 2023. Alex Kwong, his father and his elder brother are charged with her murder, and all three have pleaded not guilty.
On the trial’s 14th day, the court heard competing accounts of the family’s financial relationships, the alleged HK$70 million investment, the HK$370,370 transfer and the dispute over the property sale.
Choi’s mother portrayed her former son in law as financially dependent on her daughter and unsuccessful in his mainland business activities. The defence questioned her account of the money and challenged her explanation of why Kwong eventually agreed to the proposed sale.
The testimony has placed the family’s financial dealings and personal disagreements under close examination, but the allegations remain for the court to assess.
Will the financial disputes and property disagreement help clarify the events surrounding Abby Choi’s death? Follow the latest Hong Kong court coverage for verified updates on the trial.