Bo's trial ends, verdict to be announced
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E-mail Xinhua, August 26, 2013
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Photo taken on Aug. 26, 2013 shows the court trial of Bo Xilai (C, front) at Jinan Intermediate People's Court in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province.[Xinhua] |
The trial of Bo Xilai, charged with bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power, concluded at 1:04 p.m. Monday at Jinan Intermediate People's Court.
The verdict will be announced at a date yet to be decided.
On Monday morning, prosecutors summarized their case and demanded a heavy sentence for Bo, while the defendant made a 90-minute statement denying the charges. His lawyers also made defending statements.
The evidence presented in court and during cross-examination fully demonstrated clear facts and evidence is sufficient to charge Bo with the crimes, said prosecutors.
The facts of the crimes are objective and will not be altered by the defendant's own will, they stressed.
The fact-finding is based on all the evidence presented in the case and any attempts to deny or overturn the facts are in vain, prosecutors said.
Although the country's legal system has a principle of tempering justice with mercy, a heavy sentence in line with the law should be handed to Bo, as he committed very serious crimes and refused to plead guilty, said the prosecution.
"Additionally, he is not subject to any terms of leniency by law," they said.
During the discussion, Bo still denied the charges, insisting that he was not aware of or involved in the crimes, and questioned the credibility of witness testimony.
His defending lawyers expressed opinions concerning the motive of the defendant, the credibility of evidence and validity of evidence collection.
The presiding judge heard the opinions from both sides.
After the court debate, the defendant made a final statement.
The court will carefully and comprehensively review the evidence, fully consider opinions from both sides and make a judgement based on the facts and laws following deliberation by judges and discussion by the judicial committee, said a court spokesman after the trial.
Bo, 64, is former secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and a former member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau.
He was emotionally stable during the trial, which was held Aug. 22 to 26. More than 100 people, including Bo's family and relatives, deputies to people's congresses, political advisors, ordinary citizens and journalists observed the trial.
Wang Peng, an editor with the Shandong Electronic Audio and Video Publishing House, observed the trial.
"Sitting in the courtroom, I learnt lots of the details of this case," he said. "I believe the court will make a fair judgement."
Liu Bingjun, dean of the Law School of Shandong University of Political Science and Law, said that the trial and and pretrial procedures showcased openness and fairness of justice.
"The whole trial followed strict legal procedures. The prosecution and defense were given full opportunities to express their opinions," said Liu, who also attended the trial.
The court debate was sufficient and comprehensive, he said, noting that key witnesses' attendance at the court is key to a fair trial.
"The court published the trial transcript through microblogs, a great step forward of the development of China's legal system," Liu said.
The Jinan court's microblog at Sina Weibo, a leading Chinese social network, has had more than 582,000 followers since it opened on Aug. 18. Its 160 posts, mainly about Bo's trial, gained tens of thousands of reposts and comments.
"Similar cases have never been so open and transparent. This is of historic significance," wrote Prof. Xie Youping, from Fudan University, in his own microblog.
"I was surprised that the trial of such a high-level official can be so open. This is great progress for our judicial system," said a civil servant in Chongqing city government surnamed Huang.
Many details revealed by the trial were thought-provoking, said Huang who preferred not giving his full name.
"Bo's case shows us that, no matter how high a profile a person has, they cannot cross the line of laws. We must always honor and respect the law when doing our job. Friendship and family should not overpower duty," he said.
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