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China court to issue Bo Xilai verdict on 22 September China court to issue Bo Xilai verdict on 22 September
(about 1 hour later)
The verdict in the case of disgraced former top Chinese politician Bo Xilai will be announced on Sunday, the Jinan court in Shandong province says. A Chinese court is to announce a verdict in the case of disgraced former top politician Bo Xilai on Sunday.
The notice was made on the court's official weibo account, the Chinese version of Twitter, on Wednesday. The former Chongqing Communist Party boss was tried last month. He denied abuse of power, corruption and bribery.
Mr Bo was charged with abuse of power, corruption and bribery. Mr Bo, 64, a former member of the politburo, was engulfed in a scandal which saw his wife convicted for the murder of a British businessman.
The former Chongqing leader and Communist Party official denied the charges in a trial last month that captivated people in China. Observers say the court is expected to find him guilty and hand him a lengthy prison sentence.
Mr Bo, 64, was a member of the powerful politburo - one of the 25 most senior party officials in the country - before he was brought down by one of the biggest scandals to rock China in years. "The Jinan Intermediate People's Court will openly announce its verdict on the Bo Xilai bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power case on September 22, 2013 at 10 am [02:00GMT]," the court said on its official Sina weibo account, the Chinese version of Twitter.
He was tried in Jinan city for five days starting on 22 August. Mr Bo's trial in the city of Jinan in Shandong province ran for five days from 22 August.
"The Jinan Intermediate People's Court will openly announce its verdict on the Bo Xilai bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power case on September 22, 2013 at 10 am [02:00GMT]," the court said on its official Sina weibo account. Prosecutors accused Mr Bo of taking bribes from businessmen, either directly or via his wife and son. They also said he embezzled public funds from the city of Dalian where he used to be mayor.
The scandal was triggered by the flight of Mr Bo's former police chief in Chongqing, Wang Lijun, who in February 2012 spent a day at the US consulate in Chengdu. The indictment also focused on the abuse of power charges and made the explicit link to the dramatic case of his wife, Gu Kailai, who was given a suspended death sentence last year for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.
Wang, who has since been jailed for 15 years, triggered an investigation into the murder of UK businessman Neil Heywood. Mr Bo's trial saw him mount a vigorous defence - he made lengthy comments in court, saying he did not illegally obtain millions of dollars or cover up the killing of Mr Heywood.
Mr Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, has since been convicted of the killing and given a suspended death sentence. He also called his wife's testimony "insane" and that of his former police chief Wang Lijun "full of lies and fraud".
The scandal surrounding Mr Bo was triggered by the flight of Wang, who in February 2012 spent a day at the US consulate in Chengdu.
Wang, who has since been jailed for 15 years, triggered an investigation into the murder of Mr Heywood.
Mr Bo's trial offered the public a rare glimpse into the life of China's rich and powerful, with lurid details emerging of private vacations and luxury villas.
Prosecutors have demanded a heavy sentence for the former party boss.