BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese court will announce a verdict Monday for the ex-police chief at the center of a seamy political scandal that has buffeted China's leadership.
Friday's announcement by the Chengdu intermediate court of a verdict date for Wang Lijun is relatively swift. He was tried this week on defecting, abuse of power and other charges.
Once the verdict is pronounced, Chinese leaders are expected to deal with the scandal's most nettlesome issue — whether to prosecute Wang's former boss, disgraced leader Bo Xilai.
In an official account of his trial, prosecutors argued that Wang was entitled to a more lenient punishment because he exposed that Bo's wife murdered a British businessman. The account also hints that Bo knew about the murder but did nothing.
