Two defendants admit disposing of Abby Choi’s remains but deny murder

The former husband and brother-in-law of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung have pleaded guilty to illegally disposing of her dismembered body, according to the South China Morning Post. The two men continue to deny murder charges and will stand trial alongside their father. Prosecutors are due to open their case on Monday, after a nine-member jury was empanelled at Hong Kong’s High Court.

The jury consists of seven men and two women. The trial is expected to last approximately eight weeks, according to the supplied report. The pleas on the body-disposal charges were revealed on Thursday.

The available material does not identify the precise charges in legal terms beyond the illegal disposal of Choi’s remains, nor does it provide the defendants’ names. The murder proceedings will therefore continue despite the guilty pleas on the disposal charges. Prosecutors are preparing to present their case to the jury, but the source material does not include details of the evidence expected to be heard.

The report describes the trial as high-profile. It does not provide a verdict, details of the alleged motive or information about any other defendants beyond the former husband, brother-in-law and their father.