Murder Trial for Wife of Ousted Chinese Leader Ends After One Day
Published at(HEFEI, China) — Gu Kailai, the wife of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai, stood trial on Thursday for the murder of a British businessman last November.
According to China’s Xinhua News Agency, the prosecutors claimed that Gu and her son Bo Guagua had conflicts with Neil Heywood — once an advisor with financial ties to the Chinese political family — over economic interests.
Gu reportedly feared for her son’s safety and decided, prosecutors said, to poison Heywood with the help of an aide in a hotel room.
The court-appointed defense team rebutted, saying Gu had weak self control and was in a fragile state of mind.
Following the arguments from both sides, a court official informed reporters that the trial had finished after just one day. A verdict is expected at a later date, which has yet to be announced.
Kailai’s trial is being considered the highest profile court case in China in over three decades and comes at a particularly sensitive time for China as it prepares to undergo a significant change in leadership.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio