7th suspect linked to Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi’s murder charged
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Ms Abby Choi was murdered and her body parts were found in a village house in Tai Po, Hong Kong, on Feb 24, 2023.
PHOTOS: ABBY CHOI/INSTAGRAM, EPA-EFE
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A seventh suspect has been arrested and charged in Shenzhen, China, in connection with Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi’s gruesome murder.
The suspect is Irene Pun, a 29-year-old Hong Kong influencer with more than 39,000 followers on Instagram.
She was charged in Kowloon City Court on Wednesday for assisting an offender with the intent to impede his apprehension or prosecution, after she was handed over to the Hong Kong police at a border control point on Tuesday, reported the South China Morning Post.
She had allegedly arranged for a yacht to help Alex Kwong, one of the murder suspects and ex-husband of Ms Choi, flee to Macau after “knowing or believing him to be guilty of the offence of (murder)”.
The suspect was reportedly a friend of Kwong.
She was the third person arrested for assisting an offender in this murder case, which was uncovered on Feb 24.
Pun was granted a HK$50,000 (S$8,620) bail but had to observe a travel ban, surrender all relevant documents, report to police twice a week and notify them of any change in address. She will return to the same court on May 8.
On Monday, Lam Shun, 41, was charged with the same offence but was granted bail after appearing in court.
The yacht rental agent allegedly arranged for Kwong’s attempted escape to Macau for HK$300,000.
On Feb 26, the police also arrested a 47-year-old masseuse, identified only by the surname Ng, for allegedly renting a flat in West Kowloon as a temporary shelter for Kwong to evade law enforcement.
She was released on bail without charge, but must report to the police later in March.
Ms Choi, 28, was found killed and dismembered at a village house in Tai Po on Feb 24.
DNA tests confirmed that a skull discovered in a large soup pot and two legs found in a refrigerator in the house were the remains of the socialite.
Her torso and hands are still missing.
Kwong, 28, alongside his 65-year-old father Kwong Kau, 63-year-old mother Jenny Li and brother Anthony Kwong, 31, were charged in connection with the murder on Feb 27.
They are remanded in custody without bail, and will return to Kowloon City Court on May 8.
