Prosecutors say Bo Xilai crimes 'extremely serious'
Bo accused of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power
The crimes of fallen Chinese politician Bo Xilai were “extremely serious”, prosecutors said on Monday as his bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power trial began moving into its final stages.
The description is a key factor in Chinese sentencing, where courts must generally find that offences are “extremely serious” and there are no mitigating factors if they are to impose the death penalty.
Analysts widely believe that despite the drama of the trial, which has seen Bo mount a feisty defence, a guilty verdict is a foregone conclusion and a long prison sentence has already been agreed.
But under Chinese law the death penalty is available for cases of bribery involving more than 100,000 yuan and the prosecution told the court: “The defendant’s crimes are extremely serious.
“He pleaded not guilty to the charges, and there are no extenuating circumstances suggesting lighter punishment. It must be dealt with severely according to the law.”
The comments were according to the Intermediate People’s Court in Jinan, which is posting regular but delayed transcripts of the proceedings on its account on Sina Weibo, a Twitter equivalent, in a move hailed by state media as unprecedented transparency.