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Bo Xilai scandal: Police chief Wang Lijun verdict due Bo Xilai scandal: Police chief Wang Lijun jailed for 15 years
(about 9 hours later)
A court in China is preparing to deliver its verdict in the case of the ex-police chief at the heart of China's biggest political scandal in years. The ex-police chief at the heart of China's biggest political scandal in years has been sentenced to 15 years in jail, state media reports.
Wang Lijun pleaded guilty to defection, abuse of power and bribe-taking at his two-day trial in Chengdu last week. Wang Lijun was jailed for ''bending the law for selfish ends, defection, abuse of power and bribetaking", Xinhua said.
Mr Wang's flight to a US consulate in February led to the downfall of top politician Bo Xilai. His wife was found guilty of killing a UK businessman. The policeman's flight in February to a US consulate led to the downfall of his ex-boss, top politician Bo Xilai.
The scandal comes as China prepares to select new leaders in the coming weeks. Bo's wife was convicted of killing UK businessman Neil Heywood in August and given a suspended death sentence.
Analysts say the criminal cases may hint at how the Chinese leadership plans to deal with Mr Bo. Wang was accused of helping cover up her crime.
Mr Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, has been given a suspended death sentence for killing the British businessman Neil Heywood. The verdict comes as China prepares to select new leaders in coming weeks. It is due to hold a party congress that will see major changes in the top echelons of leadership, although specific dates have not been announced.
Mr Wang is charged with helping cover up her crime. 'Boxing the ears'
'Personal gain' After Wang's trial ended last Tuesday, a court official said he had not contested the charges.
The verdict against Wang Lijun is expected at around 08:30 (00:30 GMT). The indictment against Wang said he knew that Gu Kailai - Mr Bo's wife - was a murder suspect, but "consciously neglected his duty and bent the law for personal gain", state news agency Xinhua reported.
After Mr Wang's trial ended last Tuesday, a court official read out a statement saying the defendant did not contest the charges. "As for the crimes that the prosecution has alleged, I understand them, I admit to them, and I am repentant for them," Wang was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
This left little doubt that the verdict, when it comes, will be a guilty one, correspondents said. At a separate trial on 10 August, four senior police officers from Chongqing admitted covering up evidence linking Gu to the murder. They were jailed for between five and 11 years.
The indictment against Mr Wang said he knew that Gu was a murder suspect, but "consciously neglected his duty and bent the law for personal gain", state news agency Xinhua reported. Mr Bo has not been seen in public since the scandal erupted and is said to be under investigation by the party's disciplinary officials.
Mr Wang's flight to the US consulate proved an embarrassment for China and threw up issues involving diplomacy and state secrets. It is not clear if the former Chongqing party chief - who was tipped for promotion to the top ranks before his downfall - will face criminal charges himself.
Most analysts expect him to be given a suspended death sentence, similar to the one handed to Gu. At Wang's trial last week, Mr Bo was said to have reacted with anger when the police chief told him of wife's involvement in the murder of Mr Heywood, "boxing the ears" of his former ally.
At a separate trial on 10 August, four senior police officers from Chongqing admitted to charges of covering up evidence linking Gu to the murder. A court official said they had been given terms of between five and 11 years in prison, AFP reported. Mr Bo's populist brand of politics - an authoritarian crackdown on corruption coupled with the promotion of old communist values - is said to have made him enemies and they may be pushing for a criminal trial that removes him from the political landscape for a very long time, says the BBC's John Sudworth.
Mr Bo, Mr Wang's former boss in Chongqing, had been tipped for promotion to the top leadership ranks at the party congress before his downfall.
He has not been seen in public since the scandal erupted and is said to be under investigation by the party's disciplinary officials. It is not clear if he will face any criminal charges himself.