Abby Choi Trial: Father-in-Law Testifies He Gave Her Over HK$80 Million to Invest; Ex-Father-in-Law Accused of Pocketing 'Tea Money'
Hong Kong — The murder trial of socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung continued at Hong Kong's High Court this week. According to courtroom reporting by several Hong Kong media outlets, the trial entered its 17th day on October 15 and its 18th day on October 16, when Tam Chuk-yuen, founder of the TamJai rice noodle chain and father of Choi's husband Chris Tam, took the stand to describe the family's financial arrangements with Choi and a money dispute involving one of the defendants, her former father-in-law Kwong Kau.
Tam testified that although his son and Choi never formally registered their marriage — her divorce had not been finalized — the family always treated her as a daughter-in-law. He said he had given Choi no less than HK$80 million in several tranches to invest in watches and property, describing her as more mature and organized than his son. He gave her mother HK$3.99 million as a betrothal gift, and in 2018 the family gave the couple a flat at Manhattan Hill, registered in Choi's name. He also provided Choi HK$200,000 to HK$250,000 a month for household expenses and gave her handbags worth HK$200,000 to HK$400,000 each time she had a child.
Tam also told the court that Chris Tam had run up a HK$5 million gambling debt, with Choi as guarantor, which he ultimately repaid. On Choi's introduction, he asked Kwong Kau, a former police officer, to help speed up the matter; Kwong took HK$300,000 in "tea money" and a further HK$150,000. After Tam deposited the HK$5 million principal into Kwong's personal account, Kwong claimed the account had been frozen and borrowed another HK$250,000 in cash from him outside Mong Kok Police Station — money never repaid. Tam said the episode left him wary of the Kwong family.
During cross-examination on October 15, counsel for Choi's ex-husband Alex Kwong suggested that Chris Tam had wanted a romantic or sexual relationship with Alex Kwong. Tam flatly denied it — "absolutely disagree" — saying the two men kept in touch as adults mainly for the sake of the children and that the friendship was over.
The trial, case HCCC 198/2025 before Deputy Judge Brian Keith with a jury, opened on September 21 and is expected to last about 45 days. Alex Kwong, his father Kwong Kau and his brother Kwong Kong-kit are charged with murdering Choi on February 21, 2023, at a village house in Lung Mei Tsuen, Tai Po, and with preventing the lawful burial of her body. All three deny murder; Alex Kwong and Kwong Kong-kit have pleaded guilty to preventing lawful burial, while Kwong Kau denies all charges. The trial continues, with a verdict expected in late November or early December.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 香港高等法院大楼（金钟）。照片：HASOMKWO 303／Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA 4.0）。The High Court Building in Admiralty, Hong Kong. Photo: HASOMKWO 303 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- 2026-10-15Abby Choi Murder Trial Opens in Hong Kong High Court: Three Kwong Men Deny Murder as Husband Chris Tam Testifies
- 2026-10-18Abby Choi Trial: Father-in-Law Testifies He Gave Her Over HK$80 Million to Invest; Ex-Father-in-Law Accused of Pocketing 'Tea Money'This story
