Former Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun , whose flight to a US diplomatic mission in February triggered China's worst political crisis in more than two decades, faces four charges including defection and abuse of power, Xinhua said yesterday.
"Bending the law for selfish ends" and "bribe-taking" were the other two charges formally brought against him by prosecutors in Chengdu , the capital of Sichuan province.
The Intermediate Court of Chengdu was handling the case and "would choose a day for trial", the agency said.
The formal charges against Wang, the former top aide of disgraced Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai , and his upcoming trial signal the Communist Party leadership intends to wrap up the scandal before its leadership transition. Gu Kailai , Bo's wife, was given a suspended death sentence last month for murdering British businessman Neil Heywood. The scandal has rocked the party and once threatened to derail the 18th party congress, which is expected to be held next month to usher in the next generation of leaders.
Legal experts predict a heavy sentence for Wang.
"The charges are very serious; it's very unlikely he could get away lightly," said Mo Shaoping , a Beijing-based lawyer. "It will be life imprisonment at least, or he could even face a death sentence."
Xinhua quoted Chengdu prosecutors as saying Wang had been fully aware of Gu's crime but had chosen to violate his duty for personal favour.