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Reuters, file
Gu Kailai is the wife of China's former Chongqing Municipality Communist Party Secretary, Bo Xilai.
Updated at 12:25 p.m. ET: BEIJING -- The wife of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai and a family aide have been charged with the murder of a British businessman, the government said Thursday, pushing ahead a case at the center of a messy political scandal that exposed divisions in the country's leadership.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported that the prosecutor's indictment said Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, had a falling out with Briton Neil Heywood over money and worried that it would threaten her and their son's safety. Gu and the aide, Zhang Xiaojun, are alleged to have poisoned Heywood together, the report said. Heywood's death in November was attributed initially to a heart attack or excessive drinking.
"The facts of the two defendants' crime are clear, and the evidence is irrefutable and substantial. Therefore, the two defendants should be charged with intentional homicide," Xinhua said.
It did not give a date for the trial, but a family lawyer told Reuters it was likely to take place on August 7-8.
Thursday's brief report is the first official news that the case against Gu is proceeding since the announcement three months ago that she and Zhang were being investigated and that Bo was being suspended from the powerful Politburo for unspecified discipline violations. The Xinhua report did not mention Bo's case or a separate party investigation into Bo.
Prosecutors have interrogated Bo and Zhang and have "heard the opinions" of their defense lawyers, Xinhua said.
The scandal has exposed the bare-knuckled infighting that the secretive leadership prefers to hide and affirmed an already skeptical public's dim view about corrupt dealings in the party.
City divided by disgraced Communist leader's legacy
Disappeared from public view
Since Bo was dismissed in March, he and his wife Gu, formerly a powerful lawyer, have disappeared from public view and have not responded publicly to the accusations against them.
The charges were filed in the eastern city of Hefei, Xinhua said Thursday. It did not say when exactly the indictment was issued or when the crime occurred and why the case is being prosecuted in Hefei and not in Chongqing, the city Bo ran as Communist party secretary and where the couple lived.
But according to Si Weijiang, a prominent lawyer in China who is followed by 170,000 people on his microblog, Hefei, in eastern China's Anhui Province, was selected due to its political reliability.
Wang Shengjun, who is the chief justice of China's Supreme People’s Court, is from Anhui and the province has, according to Si, built a reputation of being politically reliable and harsh on defendants.
"The case being filed at Hefei, will set Chief Justice Wang's mind at ease," Si wrote Thursday.
Scandal sends China's netizens into a feeding frenzy
In another post, Si noted the intense political ramifications of this case.
"This is a political case. No accidents is success. So it [the court] must be a place that can be trusted," he wrote.
But Fang Hong, a Chongqing resident featured in a piece by NBC News in May, hailed the prosecution move as a "vindication of my criticism" of Bo's rule.
"They tried to destroy the rule of law so as to make it convenient for them to murder people, and now they will get what they deserve," he told NBC News.
"This case is being handled according to the law," he said, adding that "some people with limited understanding wrongly think it is a political striuggle, but it is not. ... What the law says is what they will get."
China.org.cn via Reuters, file
British businessman Neil Heywood, who died in November 2011, was a long-time friend of Bo Xilai and Gu Kailai.
Political ascent stopped
Thursday's announcement comes months before the ruling Communist Party unveils a new top leadership.
Before his ouster, Bo was one of China's most powerful and charismatic politicians. The son of a revolutionary veteran, Bo was seen as a leading candidate for a position in the Politburo Standing Committee, the highest ranks of power, when a younger group of leaders is installed later this year.
Son of sacked Chinese official fights back
On his rise, Bo led high-profile campaigns to bust organized crime and to promote communist culture. In doing so, however, his administration ran roughshod over civil liberties, angered some leaders and alienated others with his publicity seeking.
The removal of Bo has triggered rifts and uncertainty, disrupting the Communist Party's usually secretive and carefully choreographed process of settling on a new central leadership in the run up to its 18th congress.
Left-wing supporters of the charismatic Bo have defended him as the instigator of a much-needed new path for China, and many of them see him as the blameless victim of a plot.
Behind the Wall: Full NBC News coverage from China
The 18th Party Congress, scheduled to be held late this year, will appoint that leadership. President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao will then step down from their government posts at the National People's Congress in early 2013, when Vice President Xi Jinping is likely to succeed Hu as president.
Growing credibility gap
Analysts here agree that the legal steps announced Thursday are part of the authorities' effort to dispose of the case and remove a major distraction before the once-in-a-decade leadership succession later this year.
However, this week has been a week of disruptions that have kept government propaganda officials and censors busy.
Full international news coverage from NBCNews.com
Besides the ongoing saga of Bo, Beijing this past weekend dealt with the worst flooding in nearly six decades. Just as news of Gu’s charges came out, word also broke that the death count from the flooding, which previously had stood at 37, had been bumped up to at least 77. Many Beijing residents had been highly dubious of earlier government estimates of the death toll, highlighting the party's credibility gap.
The news also came on the eve of the 2012 Olympics in London, where China hopes again to top the tables in gold medals.
Still, the government was not taking any chances: the comments section on the official Weibo account of popular Chinese state newspaper, People's Daily, was turned off for the post regarding Gu's murder charges.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
What with all the political intrigue which is so common in China, one really begins to wonder what is fact, and what is fiction. What better way to discredit an opponent, than to arrest the spouse. Stay tuned.......
It's not about political intrigue. It's about money.
Isn't that an oxymoron or sump'n??
After three months, a two day trial. In the US, after 3 years, a 6 month trial. Hmmm.
You got it tstucker, and if they get convicted, it won't take 25 years to execute them.
@Eddie
they have already been convicted—what you are waiting to see is their execution
One down, seventeen million to go. China is the most corrupt country on the planet.
More corrupt than Pakistan? Afghanistan? Saudi Arabia? Iran? Don't think so.
Yes, what Rachael said.
I don't believe anything that comes out of China.
Another ignorant Ameri@!$%#. It's a shame. China is corrupt, but definitely not the most corrupt.
United States not corrupt? Russia? The whole Middle-East?
After three months, a two day trial. In the US, after 3 years, a 6 month trial. Hmmm.
No, the US is not corrupt. Only its politicians.
I think the US is more corrupt that China. There are many other countries more corrupt than China.
Mercury in paint that went on childrens toys, melimine in infants milk sold all over Asia. Air pollution from burning millions of tons of coal, just a few of the problems in China. Yes they might be the most corrupt government on the planet..
Not sure about your comment our government seems to be doing a real good job in the corruption dept
The trial is set for Aug 7th or 8th? It takes up to two years to get a trial in the USA. She looks like a new US citizen. Political refugee. Where is the State Department people?
What?!?!
Yank, when did the UK become part of the US?
I couldn't agree with duuug more if I tried but this goes on all over the world but this seems to be a little over the top but as there is old saying everything will shake out and the truth will be told some day.
It is so sad that things have to go to blows before things seem to happen in politics or anything else when it comes to either a person losing or winning no matter what country we are speaking about.
The Chinese "justice system".
We will never know the truth, why even bother to report anything but the corroborable facts ?
The rise in the party is so treacherous, a ladder climber only needs to vary a little from the accepted norm to be ousted for one reason or another.
I knew Bo Xilai when he was fist starting out as mayor of Dalian. I seriously doubt he had anything to do with a murder. For that matter, maybe his wife didn't either.
But the system will swiftly adjudicate this matter, punish and relegate those they deem to have been involved to a life of disgrace, low social status, or death.
The real story behind this public story might be 100% different than what we think we know.
Oh this is China.. Trial and conviction tomorrow, shot in the back of the head next week.
I thought it was execution at noon, trial at 1:00 P.M.
The article is basically factual. A good example is the execution in 2010 of Chongqing's justice chief, Wen Qiang. He lost his appeal in May of 2010 and was executed in July of 2010. It was imperative that he be forever silenced as quickly as possible. Wen Qiang did many good things for the people of Chongqing, a mega city of thirty million people. He clamped down on drug trafficking, money laundering and property confiscation. However, when he turned his sights toward political corruption, of which he was also involved, his fate was doomed.
Bo Xilai and his wife are in the same situation. She has allegedly hidden hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign bank accounts. Neil Heywood threatened to expose her and her cronies and as a result he was murdered. I don't know if Bo Xilai was aware of her activities but he was a ruthless politician, sending hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent people to jail, rewarding his friends and destroying his enemies. In addition, his goal was to turn back the clock on China. He was a revolutionary and wanted to bring back the sixties and seventies, when the Chinese people were forced to carry their little red books and children were indoctrinated from the first grade with military and government songs. He basically desired another Cultural Revolution. His downfall was the result of his stepping on the toes of the wrong people, his cohorts in corruption.
You have to live in China to understand the depth of political corruption. It's rampant and it seems to get worse year by year. The citizens are fed up with it and this corruption is one of the biggest threats facing the central and provincial governments, the second biggest threat being the widening gap between the wealthy and the poor. There will be another revolution by the people if corrections are not made and Beijing is well aware of this fact.
I've been to China many times, for months at a time, and Chongqing is the city in which I reside while there. As with any country, one must be able to separate the government from the people, to understand that the people are not always a reflection of their government. China is a prime example.
Can you cite sources for that information?
That's what I thought.
flylowguy, I knew that the instant I made my post you would have some kind of adversarial reply. Quite frankly, I don't give a @!$%# what you think about it.
I was there. I witnessed his actions many, many times. The people of Chongqing have been the subject of his actions and I have talked with many of these people. I read the local and national papers every day. I've witnessed his revolutionary desires.
You are the one rebutting my post. Document your rebuttal. You can't do it.
that statement is questionable. It is possible that was what the party wants people to think. To me, that is preposterous and illogical.
Yes, it would be questionable if one relied on government newspapers only; however, I read several foreign newspapers every day, in addition to English language Chinese and foreign newspapers and magazine articles that deal with China. I walked the streets of Chongqing. I've been in many Chongqing government offices. I have several friends in the Chongqing government and banking system. It doesn't take much effort to realize what is happening in any country if you keep your eyes and ears open and carefully observe.
Again, I don't particularly care whether or not anyone believes my post.
I neglected to mention that I have many in-laws in Chongqing, people who are very aware of the situation in their city, people who have also witnessed on a first person basis the situation with Bo Xilai.
In addition, one doesn't have to be a Chinese scholar or citizen to realize the direction China is taking, considering that Hu Jintao's protege was prevented, by the hardliners in Beijing, from being a contender to succeed him. Xi Jinping, the choice of the hardliners, was selected instead. Bo Xilai was well on his way to having a seat on the Politburo in Beijing and that would have been very bad for the people of China. Actions speak louder than words, and by witnessing these actions one can learn the true intentions of any government or government official.
I'll be the first to admit that Bo Xilai did many good things for Chongqing and its citizens; however, corruption and abuse of power are often a part of any powerful government official, in all nations, including our own. It takes only observation and common sense to discover it.
Sichuan good info, and thanks for this view.
Ok, Sich. Have it your self-righteous way.
Knowing a little is probably what you suffer from. Most people who think they know it all are in your shoes: they know a little.
What you have is an opinion that if believable, needs to be backed up with something more than "I have stayed in Chongqing, so I know".
Maybe you don't realize how that information looks to others when it is presented.
As opinion, go ahead. As presentation of fact, hold on until you have the whole story.
You have been corrupted yourself. This is just another way for China to get rid of somone they are afraid of and scared they will make changes to their corrupt governement. You have become one of the ones that block freedom of speech. You agree with everything they say. No where in any country is the press ever 100% accurate. In China that is definitely true. You only hear what they want you to hear. They make the news the way they want it to be. Why is it that this person had a heart attack but now they are saying he was murdered. This is just a way to hide the truth and attack people that they do not agree with and want dead. People are so nieve. They think everything they hear is 100% accurate. That is definitely not the case ever.
QUOTE: "You have to live in China to understand the depth of political corruption."
Where must we live in order to avoid it??? Could someone please tell us that?? My wife and I would like to know.
"You have been corrupted yourself."
LOL
The facts are whatever the party says they are—the Chinese government has already spent some time trying these people in the public's eyes for recognition of the reported crime. By the time the Chinese government is done with this case the only thing left will be the execution date. One cannot disrupt the political party as in this case that has made world wide embarrassment for the Beijing ruling party. The standing tradition in China is for the entire family line to disappear; however you want to vision that..
He stepped on somebody's toes
As someone who's lived in China-and the US-I can tell you this is par for the course for many (perhaps most but not all) of the leaders in China. They basically run their empires just like gangsters. What's so embarrassing about this is how openly and deeply corrupt Bo and his wife and other cohorts were but they are also only a little worse than the other leaders. Hence, they need this finished and forgotten as soon as possible or else the people will be reminded how corrupt those are at the top.
That being said, America's corruption isn't quite as gangster-like for our politicians but it is actually even more deadly. In China, the politicians are the king pins. In America it's the corporations. The worst offender is the Military Industrial Complex, who, with their blood for money wars, create a whole lot more death and destruction than the worst gangster in China could dream of doing. And with the SCOTUS allowing corporations to freely and secretly contribute vast amounts of (bribes) cash to political campaigns and politicians the crimes in the US are sanctioned and basically protect all the guilty parties. At least in China you know what you have. In the US they hide behind the flag-phony nationalism-and false stories about "protecting" the world somehow.
Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKfuS6gfxPY
This is one issue Ron Paul is the only politician speaking the truth.
aflynn, your post is right on the money.
Well said , I cant believe that other countries have not followed in the US steps of " organized corruption "
Maybe Obama should go save her too
Perhaps Romney should be the one to save her. It's quite possible her alleged offshore accounts are in the same foreign banks as Romney's.
My good Obama person. How about you move to Beijin? Over there the Obama dream of the Big Brother Power is already a reality. You gonna be very happy I guess in that environment.
EuIon, how about you move to a country governed by Muslims or communists where the only acceptable view is that of those in control. You'd fit right in, considering you have no tolerance for opinions that differ from your own. It's people such as yourself who are causing all the political discord and intolerance in this country. You're part of the problem.
If you have an opinion I'll respect your right to that opinion. If all you want to do is criticize and condemn those who have views different than your own, showing no tolerance for ideologies that don't agree with yours, you're nothing more than a bump on a log.
Regardless, Big Brother power has been in place in the U.S. for decades. It's called corporate power. It makes me want to vomit when I have to read bull@!$%# comments that insinuate that Democrats and/or liberals are communists and socialists, which gives everyone who disagrees with those making such comments the right to refer to such name callers as fascists and Nazis.
Speaking of socialism, the fact of the matter is that conservative politicians are every bit as much socialists as liberal politicians, the only difference being the recipients of their largesse.
No, you heard your dictator, er uh, I mean, president. Romney's money, and yours for that matter, belongs to the government because if it weren't for those money grubbers in DC you'd have NOTHING,
jimreaper, the U.S. had its foremost example of a presidential dictator from 2001 to 2009. In any event, I suppose that you're just another American who falsely assumes that an American president has power when in fact he has only one power, that being the presidential veto, which can be overridden by Congress. Congress is the only political institution on the federal level with any power. A good example is the House of Representatives, which has used its power for the past two years to accomplish absolutely nothing for the American people.
Sichuan- Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Your clown is the one the made the heart-felt confession about his real beliefs about this country, citizens, and future of both. We aren't talking about the "past" presidents just this loser that you are supporting now. Typical lefty, you want me to buy into this rhetoric about your "chosen one" yet you want to live in the past. By the way, as usual, you're the one that brought politics into this.
You and that Red Headed Lunatic from Roselle should be best friends.
That's just one man what about the 60 Vietnamese fishermen that were massacred by the Chinese navy in 2004 63 miles off the coast of Vietnam which is Vietnam's sovereign water.
Who's going to bring them justice?
Chinese are only do things that are beneficial to themselves regardless of the consequences. Can't wait till the day the nations of Southeast Asian rise up against their greedy arses!
Critical times hard to deal with, will be here.
Eh - nevermind.
I don't care about the faith of a Brit making money by playing the kiss-ass game in the corrupt New Chinese Empire. He knew how dangerous this game is. The important thing is that the initial statement that his death was due to alcoholic coma was shown as a big lie very much by the forces of the young Chinese democrats. It is not easy for them, but I wish they will score more victories like this against the old SOBs.
Really? I thought the Chinese could do what ever they wanted. She should be able to get a good lawyer at Walmart. Everything else there is made in China.
Julian Assange did much to expose the nefarious workings of the U.S. and other superpowers. The phone hacking scandal of Mr. Murdoch and his red headed schemer in the U.K. has also gone a long way toward letting the world’s population know what the ruling political classes are like, whether totalitarian trash in socialist hell holes like much of China or more "enlightened" capitalists crooks like those in the U.S. and the formwer colonies of the United Kingdom.
Cut throat,greedy, selfish, ignorant scheming, liars is too kind a description for the
filth that populates much of the political class and colludes with big
business. Is this murder really much of a story? No so much.
77 Dead ??? Come On!!! Always multiply by at least 100 maybe even a 1000 when dealing with Chinese Math. Try 7,700 dead from the floods might be a little more accurate. Chinese politics makes ours look timid. Remember they charge the families of those they execute for a crime for the cost of the bullet.
Respect for life is not really strong in China; they routinely refer to Tiannamen as "the incident" rather dismissively. Maybe that's why we shouldn't have let the Republicans mortgage our kids' future to the Chinese to fight a war! Fiscal responsibility USED to be the Republican's strength, but they gave that up when they got in power and decided that short term profits were more important than long term debts (remember, it was Dick Cheney who first said, "deficits don't matter.")
Bo, preaching old time communism in a new China that is communist in name but has found the riches in building a middle class that can consume and generate taxes that line the pockets of the politicians, going back to the old ways of share alike expect the very top would reduce the take the top enjoys from a middle class and they do not want a pay cut, capitalism works WITH CONTROLS to keel fair and free of greedy cheats.
Oh my God, it's Jackie Chan! :-D
The chinese are stealing technology and now killing.
yawn........................
I'll bet this whole trial and all the subsequent appeals won't take more than 1 year, and if sentenced to death, they won't sit on death row for 25 years. We could take a lesson from the Chinese about the old saying, "justice delayed is justice denied."
Shameful Chinese politican can't keep his house in order.