Defiant Bo Xilai claims he was coerced into graft confession
Former Chongqing party chief dominates first day of biggest political trial in decades, saying he was forced into false corruption confession
Bo Xilai put up a vigorous defence yesterday against corruption charges against him in China's biggest political trial in decades, saying he was coerced into making a false confession to graft investigators.
The disgraced princeling - once considered the country's most powerful rising politician - was making his first public appearance in 18 months.
I'm not a perfect man and I'm not always strong-willed. But I want to speak out the truth of my charges
His dramatic downfall and the magnitude of the case made yesterday's trial a global event with reporters from around the world flocking to the city of Jinan in Shandong.
Bo, 64, in an open-necked white shirt and casual black trousers, looked tired and his hair was a little greyer around the temples.
But the flamboyant former Politburo member and Chongqing party boss had lost none of his flair, strongly contesting charges that through wife Gu Kailai and son Bo Guagua he had amassed more than 20 million yuan (HK$25 million) in bribes and illicit assets.
While the trial was not broadcast live, the court released frequent and detailed updates through its official microblogs.