Former mother-in-law of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi denies hindering police

The former mother-in-law of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung has denied perverting the course of justice by hindering a police investigation in a 2015 theft case involving the model’s then husband.

The District Court on Thursday recorded a not-guilty plea from Jenny Li Sui-heung nearly four months after the 64-year-old secured a HK$200,000 (US$25,600) bail in relation to the case.

The court heard the defence would dispute the reliability of nine prosecution witnesses, including seven police officers, as well as the content of security footage seized from a Tai Po village house during an investigation into Choi’s murder in February last year. The defence said Li also took issue with the admissibility of certain evidence.

Chief District Judge Justin Ko King-sau listed the trial for early June next year after rejecting a defence request to postpone the case by four months to accommodate the schedule of Li’s leading counsel.

Ko noted the major contention centred on the correct interpretation of the CCTV footage, which did not involve any specialist knowledge or require a specific lawyer to handle.