Money the ‘root cause’ behind Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi’s murder, prosecutors say

Hong Kong murder trial examines alleged family dispute over wealth and property

Earthguardiansonline.com – The murder trial of Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi has opened with prosecutors portraying a long-running conflict over money, housing and family support as the alleged motive behind her death in 2023.

Three members of Choi’s former husband’s family — ex-husband Alex Kwong, his brother Anthony Kwong and their father, Kwong Kau — have been charged with murder. Each entered a not-guilty plea on Wednesday as proceedings began before a jury made up of eight men and one woman.

Choi’s death drew international attention after the 28-year-old mother of four disappeared in February 2023 and police later recovered body parts believed to be hers at a property in Tai Po, in Hong Kong’s New Territories. Investigators said they found equipment including a meat slicer and an electric saw, as well as clothing, at the house.

Prosecution alleges financial tensions became fatal

In her opening address, prosecutor Charlotte Draycott told jurors that the case centered on a widening divide between Choi’s financial circumstances and those of the Kwong family. Choi had moved on from her marriage to Alex Kwong and was in a relationship with a man from an “extremely wealthy” family, the court heard.

Despite the separation, Choi remained connected to the Kwongs and continued to provide financial help. Her former in-laws assisted with the care of the two children she shared with Alex Kwong, and prosecutors said she gave the family a substantial allowance.

“Money seems to be the root cause of this case,” Draycott told the jury.

One focal point is a Hong Kong apartment valued at HK$60 million, or about US$7.6 million, which was registered in the name of Kwong Kau, a retired police sergeant. Prosecutors said Choi had provided the home for the family and later wanted to sell it.

Her proposed plan involved moving her former in-laws to accommodation farther from central Hong Kong, while ensuring that her children could still attend school. Prosecutors argued that this decision damaged a relationship that had once been cordial.

The court heard that friction intensified during 2022. Kwong Kau allegedly rejected Choi and, on one occasion, attempted to assault her. Choi had also become concerned that the family could influence her children against her. Prosecutors said she referred to her former father-in-law as a “crook” and “ungrateful.”

Alleged plan tied to ownership of the flat

The prosecution’s case is that Kwong Kau eventually formed a plan to kill Choi, with Alex and Anthony Kwong participating. Draycott told the court that Choi’s death would have removed the prospect of the apartment being sold and would have allowed Kwong Kau to remain in it.

“If she died, the flat would be in his name and he could move back there,” Draycott said.

She told jurors that the prosecution contends the father and his two sons acted together, with each man playing a role in causing Choi’s death and concealing her remains.

“He made a plan with his two sons Alex, her ex-husband, and Anthony, and we say three of them decided they would do it together,” Draycott said. “Each of them played a part by bringing her death and burying her body.”

The allegations remain to be tested during the trial, and the defendants’ not-guilty pleas mean prosecutors must prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

A prominent figure whose disappearance shocked Hong Kong

Choi was known in Hong Kong’s fashion and social circles, where she attended events alongside entertainment figures and built a significant following online. The circumstances of her disappearance and the subsequent police investigation prompted widespread public interest in a city accustomed to intense attention surrounding high-profile criminal cases.

Police said Choi went missing on February 21, 2023. Three days later, authorities recovered body parts at the Tai Po house, leading to arrests of the Kwongs soon afterward. The limited recovery of her remains at the time added to public concern and fueled extensive speculation about what had happened.

Wednesday’s hearing also outlined Choi’s early life and relationship with Alex Kwong. She was born on Hainan, the island province in southern China, and moved to Hong Kong when she was five years old. She met Alex while still at school, and they married in 2014.

During the marriage, Alex Kwong did not hold a job and relied on support from Choi’s family, prosecutors said. The couple later separated, but their continuing co-parenting arrangements and Choi’s financial support for the Kwong family kept the households closely connected.

The case places that continuing relationship at the center of the prosecution’s narrative. Rather than presenting the alleged crime as an isolated act, prosecutors have described a deteriorating family situation in which property, financial dependence and concerns over the children created mounting pressure.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Friday and is expected to continue for at least eight weeks. Jurors will hear further evidence as they consider the charges against Alex Kwong, Anthony Kwong and Kwong Kau.