Beijing: China opn Wedesday braced for a high profile murder trial of Gu Kailai, wife of disgraced ruling Communist Party leader Bo Xilai, which will begin on Thursday.
Said to be the most politically significant case after the trial of Mao Zedong’s wife Jiang Qing 36 years ago, which decisively changed the ideological course of the Communist Party of China, Gu’s trial too was expected to leave a major impact on this year’s leadership changes in the Party.
Gu along with her orderly Zhang Xiaojun were charged with poisoning a British businessman Neil Heywood last year in Chongqing city, where Bo ruled the roost, becoming famous in the country for making it a crime free city with high profile crackdowns. The trial however would be held in the eastern Chinese city of Hefei even though the Heywood murder took place in Chongqing city for which Bo was the Chief until early this year.
Several foreign journalists headed for Hefei hoping that the proceedings would be thrown open to public, which lawyers say is highly unlikely. There was no official announcement here about the trial but it came to light through selective leaks for the foreign media here.
Gu reportedly hired a set of private lawyers to defend her. Also a diplomat of the UK Embassy here was expected to attend the trial as it involved the death of a British national. Prosecutors announced earlier Gu and Zhang had been charged with intentional homicide.
Heywood, businessman regarded as a close friend of Bo was found dead in a hotel in Chongqing on November 15, 2011. (PTI)