Evidence against Bo Xilai in bribery case

Beijing, Aug 23: In the second day of trial against disgraced Chinese leader Bo Xilai on Friday, prosecutors provided evidence to show that Bo, through his wife, Bogu Kailai, and his son, Bo Guagua, accepted a large sum of money and property from two businessmen.

During the trial at the Jinan Intermediate People's Court in China's Shandong Province, prosecutors said Bo accepted bribes worth $3.5 million from businessmen Tang Xiaolin and Xu Ming.

In 2002, while serving as the governor of Liaoning province, Bo used his post to conspire with others to embezzle five million yuan of public funds from the Dalian city government, the prosecutors added.

He was also accused of abusing power when dealing with his wife Bogu Kailai's murder case and the defection of his associate, Wang Lijun, in 2012.

Prosecutors presented documentary evidence and played a video recording in which Bogu Kailai gave testimony while being questioned Aug 10 this year, Xinhua reported.

Prosecutors also read testimony given by witnesses Bogu Kailai and Frenchman Patrick Devillers.

Relevant video and audio evidences were presented in court to show that Xu Ming provided funds for Bogu Kailai to buy a villa in France and that Bo Xilai was aware of this.

The evidences were examined by the prosecutors, the defendant and Bo's lawyers.

Bo did not acknowledge the accusations, but expressed conflicting views on key facts during his defence.

Prosecutors said that the evidence presented in court was taken legally from clear sources.

The trial adjourned at noon and will resume in the afternoon.

Bo, 64, was charged by the Jinan people's procuratorate. The indictment was delivered to the court July 25.

Bo took advantage of his position as a civil servant to seek gains for others, as well as accepted bribes in the form of large amounts of money and property, according to the indictment.

From 1999 to 2012, the indictment stated, Bo was asked by Tang, general manager of Dalian International Development Co. Ltd, and Xu, chairman of Dalian Shide Group Co. Ltd, to provide help for related parties and individuals to obtain preferential quotas to import cars and work on petrochemical projects.

Bo also took advantage of his posts as mayor of Dalian, secretary of CPC Dalian committee, governor of Liaoning Province and minister of commerce in doing so.

Bo is a former secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and a former member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau.

During the first day of trial Thursday, which was attended by more than 100 people, Bo denied the charge of taking bribe.

The court approved all applications by Bo, who was emotionally stable and physically healthy during the trial, to express his views.

IANS