Beijing: A top police official at the centre of China’s biggest political scandal has told a court that he was rebuked and slapped by disgraced Communist Party leader Bo Xilai for investigating his wife’s involvement in the murder of a Briton, prompting him to seek political asylum in the US.
According to an exhaustive testimony of Wang Lijun, Bo had slapped and intimated him for launching investigations into the murder of Neil Heywood, a Britain who was poised to death by Gu Kailai, wife of the sacked leader.
Getty Images
52-year-old Wang’s testimony, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency, did not directly mention Bo’s name but said “the then leading official of the Communist Party of China Chongqing Committee that Gu Kailai was highly suspected in the November 15, 2011 case”.
“On the morning of January 29, 2012 Wang Lijun was angrily rebuked and slapped in the face by the official,” the testimony backed by witnesses statements said. Bo was the Mayor and Party head of the Chongqing municipality for which Wang was the Deputy Mayor and Police Chief.
Both were regarded as buddies before the incident and ruled the city of with ruthless force in the name of putting down crime syndicates. This is the first time in the entire episode of Heywood murder case, which rocked the party ahead of this year’s leadership change, Bo’s name obliquely figured.
His name was studiously kept out during the trial of Gu who was already given suspended death sentence while five others have been given varied prison terms. Bo, 62, a charismatic leader expected to take a top position in this year’s leadership change was sacked from all post and currently faced disciplinary investigations. He was expected to go on trial after Wang\’s trial which concluded yesterday.
PTI
