Exclusive | Abby Choi murder: friends and grieving partner of slain Hong Kong socialite deny claims animal welfare charity involved in money laundering
- Paomes Charitable Organisation, established by model and three others just months before her death, has barely any money, bank statement shows
- Late model’s partner Chris Tam tells Post online rumours and accusations about charity’s finances have left them feeling ‘powerless and disappointed’
Choi’s partner Chris Tam and close friends Joey Wong, known as Mrs Pao, and Wong’s partner Bernard Cheng, a lawyer, called the online allegations of fraud an attack on their character and the memory of the late socialite.
“The four of us initially established the charity wholeheartedly, wanting to help those who need to care for animals, volunteers and the animals themselves,” Tam said in a letter to the Post.
“However, in the end, one of our members unfortunately passed away. The remaining members not only endured the pain of losing a partner but also faced scrutiny, criticism, cyberbullying and defamation … which left us feeling powerless and disappointed, resulting in the charity reaching a deadlock.”
Choi’s partial remains were discovered in a village house in Tai Po on February 24, three days after the 28-year-old went missing. Her ex-husband Alex Kwong Kong-chi, his parents and brother have been charged in connection with the killing.
Tam said the Paomes Charitable Organisation was registered in October last year and they opened a bank account this past January. They had received less than HK$2,000 (US$255) in donations. A copy of the charity’s bank statement from February seen by the Post showed a balance of zero on January 13 and HK$2,100 on February 13.
