Wang Lijun testifies on Bo's power abuse charge

JINAN - Wang Lijun, former vice mayor of Chongqing Municipality, appeared in court on Saturday afternoon to testify on the charge of abuse of power against Bo Xilai.

Wang was sentenced in September last year to 15 years in prison for bending the law for selfish ends, defection, abuse of power and bribe-taking.

Wang, who had served as police chief of Chongqing, covered up the murder case of Bogu Kailai, Bo's wife. Wang also entered the US consulate to attempt to defect while performing his official duties, according to the verdict by the Chengdu Intermediate People's Court.

Bo was accused of approving the release of false news that Wang was receiving "vocation-style treatment" before his defection.

The 64-year-old Bo is 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 three-day trial which started on Thursday, prosecutors have accused Bo of accepting bribes worth about 21.8 million yuan (about $3.5 million) from businessmen Tang Xiaolin and Xu Ming and embezzling five million yuan in public funds from the Dalian municipal government. 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.

Bo denied the bribery and embezzlement charges, but said he should bear some responsibility for not having closely questioned the remitting of five million yuan of project funds to Bogu's bank account.