Former police chief in China scandal goes on trial
Wang Lijun’s hearing started unexpectedly a day earlier than the court in the central city of Chengdu had announced.
Defence lawyer Wang Yuncai said the hearing examined the charges of defection and abuse of power, and involved state secrets.
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Hide AdWang, 52, fled to the US Consulate in Chengdu in February and divulged the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood, resulting in the removal of his boss, Bo Xilai, from the communist leadership, the conviction of Bo’s wife for murder and friction amid Chinese leaders.
Putting Wang on trial is a next step for China’s leadership in moving past the scandal and dealing with the stickiest issue: whether to expel Bo from the party and prosecute him. Proof the scandal’s fallout continues to dog Chinese leaders is that they have yet to announce a date for a party congress to install the new leadership, although it is expected in mid- to late October.
A career policeman of more than 20 years, Wang made his name as a gang-buster in a north-eastern province, where he met Bo, then a fast-rising politician who, as the son of a revolutionary veteran, had a web of political contacts.
The two rode to national fame together, launching a high-profile sweep against organised crime in Chongqing, an inland mega-city where Bo had been named party chief.
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Hide AdAt the height of his career, Wang arrested hundreds of gangsters and government officials, some of whom were sentenced and executed in a matter of months.
Most of the charges he faces carry up to 10-year prison terms but longer sentences may be given for extreme breaches.
In a report on his indictment two weeks ago, the official Xinhua News Agency said Wang knew Bo’s wife, Gu Kailai, was suspected in the murder of Mr Heywood over a business dispute but he “neglected his duty and bent the law for personal gain” to cover up for Gu.