The son of disgraced former Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai has spoken out for the first time since his father's downfall and mother's detention as a murder suspect regarding widespread reports about his lavish lifestyle and expensive education.
On Tuesday in his university newspaper, The Harvard Crimson, Bo Guagua, 24, said that his tuition at Harvard, Oxford and Harrow was covered by scholarships and his mother's earnings as a successful lawyer and author.
The Harvard graduate student also denied driving a Ferrari or running a business for profit. He said he felt 'responsible to the public to provide an account of the facts. It is impossible to address all of the rumours and allegations about myself, but I will state the facts regarding some of the most pertinent claims'.
In his statement, he said: 'I am deeply concerned about the events surrounding my family, but I have no comments to make regarding the ongoing investigation.'
Reports about the younger Bo and his family began emerging soon after authorities announced on April 10 that they had put his father under investigation for breaching party discipline and had arrested his mother in connection with the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood. Bo offered no comments on his family.
The rumours suggested that Bo Xilai, whose salary was only about 10,000 yuan (HK$12,275) a month, might have funded his son's education with ill-gotten gains, which Bo Guagua denied.
The 24-year-old has also been portrayed as a playboy for his affinity for throwing lavish parties, including one that film star Jackie Chan attended.