Topic
Gu Kailai, also know as Bogu Kailai, is the wife of Bo Xilai, former Communist Party Secretary of Chongqing. She was born in 1958, the youngest of five daughters to a prominent Chinese army general. She was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in August 2012 for murdering British business partner Neil Heywood in 2011.
- Beijing believed to be shutting Chengdu consulate, a strategically important post given American interest in Tibet
- The move follows the sudden shutdown of Beijing’s representative office in Houston
Body of Man Mingan, 60 – prosecutor in scandalous case that saw Gu Kailai convicted and given suspended death sentence – discovered in residential apartment in Anhui on Tuesday morning.
When China was in the grip of Peng Liyuan fever, back in March, Gu Kailai was already serving time for murder. I don't know whether Gu read any of the glowing media reports about the new first lady and, if she did, what she thought of them. If her husband, Bo Xilai , really did have his eye on the top ranks of Chinese politics, Gu must have once coveted the role now taken by Peng, and believed she could have played it better.
The wife of Bo Xilai is almost certain to be prosecuted separately for economic crimes revealed in her testimony regarding corruption allegations against her husband, sources say.
The last day of Bo Xilai's trial culminated with the surprise revelation of an illicit love affair between his wife Gu Kailai and his former top aide Wang Lijun. Trial transcripts and earlier media reports showed how the pair went from being strangers to friends, lovers and enemies in the course of less than five years.
Evidence Bo Xilai's wife gave against him would have been more credible if she had delivered it in person, lawyers say. Instead Gu Kailai's testimony was relayed through an 11-minute video and written statements.
Bo criticised Wang, whom he picked as his right-hand man, as the Jinan Intermediate People's Court heard allegations about Bo's abuse of power. This included removing Wang as Chongqing police chief without following procedures, allowing his wife Gu Kailai to interfere with the handling of Wang's defection to the US consulate in Chengdu and covering up Gu's murder of the British businessman Neil Heywood.
In an unexpected twist to the Bo Xilai court drama, the former Chongqing party secretary admitted he had been unfaithful to his wife, Gu Kailai , but "still had feelings for her".
The wife and younger son of Bo Xilai should stand trial for economic crimes if Bo is found guilty of bribery, legal experts say, though whether they eventually will is a political unknown.
Details of how 5 million yuan (HK$6.3 million) in allegedly embezzled public funds was funnelled to the family of Bo Xilai by their "caretaker" came to light on the third day of Bo's trial for bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.
Wang Lijun – Bo Xilai’s ally turned nemesis – also gave his account of his confrontation with Bo and his dramatic flight to the American consulate in Chengdu.
Bo Xilai on Saturday reconstructed events that led to him slapping the then Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun in the face, and the latter’s dramatic defection to the American consulate in Chengdu.