China prosecutors demand heavy sentence for Bo Xilai

bo_xilai_aap.jpg

Ousted Chinese political star Bo Xilai looking on as he stands on trial in the Intermediate People's Court in Jinan, east China's Shandong province. (AFP Photo/CCTV)

The trial of fallen Chinese politician Bo Xilai on bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power charges ended Monday after five days of hearings, the court said.

The Intermediate People's Court in the eastern city of Jinan will "announce the verdict at a date to be decided", it said on its verified account on Sina Weibo, a Chinese equivalent of Twitter.

The trial had initially only been expected to last two days, but stretched on as Bo, once the Communist Party chief of the megacity of Chongqing, mounted a spirited defence.

Delayed transcripts of the hearings posted online by the court painted a dramatic picture of the defendant denying the accusations and decrying prosecution witnesses and evidence.

But no foreign media are present in court and no independent verification is possible.

But analysts widely believe that a guilty verdict is a foregone conclusion and a long prison sentence has already been agreed.

The scandal surrounding Bo, which shook the ruling Communist Party, emerged after British businessman Neil Heywood was poisoned in a Chongqing hotel room and Bo's police chief flee to a US consulate.

Bo's wife Gu Kailai was convicted of Heywood's murder and given a suspended death penalty, which in China is normally commuted to life imprisonment.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AFP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world