Abby Choi’s partner tells murder trial she hid ex-in-laws’ financial reliance on her

Chris Tam Fong-chun, partner of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung, testified that he initially misled him about his former in-laws' wealth, describing them as financially comfortable before revealing they were financially reliant on her following a bitter family dispute. The three, including Choi, had a complex relationship as they remained connected through their four children, with Choi having two children with each man.

During the murder trial, Tam revealed that Choi had initially portrayed her former in-laws as financially independent to protect her children's reputation. After an acrimonious row over parenting in mid-2022, Choi admitted she had been financially supporting the Kwong family and urged Tam and his father to sever ties with them. Despite this, they maintained a friendly facade in front of the former in-laws while secretly seeking to sell a HK$72 million home registered in Kwong's father's name.

Tam testified that after the dispute, their friendship had ended. The family feud allegedly stemmed from Choi registering her former father-in-law as the owner of a luxury flat in Kadooria residential estate to avoid paying HK$9 million in double stamp duty. Choi's elder daughter, during a fever, allegedly accused her stepmother of favoring sons over daughters.

Kwong Kau, Choi's father, was barred from visiting the flat and seeing his grandchildren, while Choi's children were allegedly taken to see him during the Chinese New Year holiday in 2023. Tam, friends with Choi since 2008, admitted he had "a bit sneaky" in the matter, but claimed it was necessary to recover what was theirs through diplomatic means.