Zee Media Bureau
Jinan: The verdict in one of the most sensational trials in China’s political history is set to be announced this Sunday, the court hearing the Bo Xilai scandal case said.
The Jinan Intermediate People`s Court stated on a Chinese social networking site Weibo that it would hand down the verdict in Bo Xiliai bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power case on September 22, 2013.
Bo Xilai, ex Communist Party chief of Chongqing metropolis, faced a trial spanning over five days (Aug 22-26) where the Jinan court heard allegations accusing Bo of graft, bribery and of misusing power to cover up his wife’s role in a British businessman Neil Heywood’s murder.
Throughout the trial, Bo vehemently denied the charges against him, presenting an aggressive defence, in which he called his wife insane and the former police chief as a vile liar.
Accusing him of bribery worth $4.4 million, the prosecution has demanded strict punishment for Bo, but according to a Chinese media report, he may file appeal and the case could drag on.
In a sign of the event`s importance and sensitivity, a hotel near the court that served as the venue for news conferences during Bo`s trial is taking reservations only from accredited journalists through Monday, in an apparent effort to keep away members of the public, where Bo continues to command considerable support
