Murder Trial of Wife of Chinese Politician Begins

9 August 2012

The murder trial of the wife of disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai has begun. A court official at a courthouse in Hefei said on Thursday that the trial of Gu Kailai and a household aide had started. The two are accused of poisoning British businessman Neil Heywood in November in the southwestern mega-city of Chongqing, where Bo was party chief until his ouster this spring. The scandal has drawn attention to political infighting at a time when the government is preparing for a once-a-decade political transition. Until his fall, Bo was considered a contender for a top job.—AP