Wang Lijun’s trial begins in Chengdu in what is perhaps the denouement of the Bo Xilai drama that has captivated China and the world since revelations that Bo’s wife Gu Kailai poisoned British national Charles Heywood.
The trial is focusing on charges of corruption among others, the gravest penalty for which could be the death penalty.
The hearing was closed to the public due to Wang’s lawyer arguing that state secrets would be revealed in the course of testimony. Wang’s attempt to seek refuge in the United States in the U.S. Consulate in Chongqing began the downfall of someone who was once one of China’s most powerful politicians. Bo Xilai was fired as a party boss and dismissed from the Politburo.
If evidence is revealed at trial that Wang was ordered to coverup for Bo then Bo Xilai himself could face trial.