The Jinan Intermediate People's Court will announce the verdict in the corruption trial of ousted Politburo member Bo Xilai on Sept. 22, Bloomberg News reported. The decision will be made public at 10 a.m.
Bo's five-day trial on charges of bribery, abuse of power and embezzlement ended on August 26.
The former party secretary had been accused of taking more than 21 million yuan, or $3.4 million in bribes. He is also charged with embezzling 5 million yuan, and abusing his power in the case of murdered British businessman Neil Heywood who is wife was convicted last year of killing and given a suspended death sentence.to whom his wife had killed.
Chinese state media have said that the trial demonstrated the party's determination to crack down on corruption at "the highest level," news reports said.
Regardless of the outcome, Bo will likely probably appeal his verdict, the South China Morning Post reported. Bo will get a jail term of less than 15 years, it said, citing two people with close ties to family associates of Bo and his wife, Gu Kailai, Bloomberg also reported. Bo had called his wife "crazy," during the trial.
During the trial, Bo accused his former police chief, Wang Lijun, of being in love with Gu and denied he was guilty of the charges against him. He vehemently denied the bribery claims, saying it was something "even the lousiest TV drama scriptwriter wouldn't create," he said, according to trial transcripts.
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