Ex-brother-in-law details sibling bond with slain socialite in court
Anthony Kwong testified on day 33 of the murder trial, describing a close relationship with Abby Choi and detailing mainland investments she made with her ex-husband. Kwong, jointly charged with murder, said he helped care for the family after his brother fled to Hainan.
The former brother-in-law of slain socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung told a court on Monday that he and Choi shared a close, sibling-like relationship and detailed the mainland investments made by Choi and her ex-husband.
Anthony Kwong Kong-kit testified in the High Court during the 33rd day of the high-profile murder trial as the defence began presenting its case after the prosecution concluded its evidence last week.
Kwong told the court that he attended St Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese School before studying at a community college and university in Los Angeles from 2011 to 2015. His tuition and living expenses were covered by his father, Kwong Kau, using his retirement pension, along with financial support from his mother, Jenny Li Sui-heung, who then ran a successful fashion boutique.
He said Choi and his younger brother, Alex Kwong Kong-chi, began dating when they were about 14. They later lived together in Whampoa Garden and married in 2013, after having children. Kwong said he did not know about their first child until his mother sent him photographs. Although he returned to Hong Kong briefly for the wedding, Kwong said he had little contact with Choi while studying overseas and saw her only a few times during annual visits home.
In February or March 2015, he said, his mother called him about a “very serious” family matter. He returned to Hong Kong permanently in May and learned that his younger brother was facing theft charges and had fled to Hainan. With the children aged about one or two and his parents growing older, Kwong said he stepped in to help care for the family.
Kwong said Alex Kwong, who had learned to speak Hainanese, expanded his social circle in mainland China after moving there in June 2015 and befriended wealthy people, including small- and medium-sized property developers. According to Kwong, Choi and Alex Kwong pooled money for investments on the mainland. Alex Kwong regularly sent earnings back to Hong Kong through currency-exchange shops, and Anthony Kwong collected the money and passed it to Choi.
Anthony Kwong, Kwong Kau and Alex Kwong are jointly charged with murdering Choi. All three have denied the murder charge but pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful burial of a body.