The woman accused of murdering an official and injuring another has been released on bail.

Police said Deng Yujiao, 21, left the Badong detention center at about midnight today.

The Public Security Bureau said that Deng was given bail because she gave herself up after the May 10 attack at Xiongfeng Hotel in Badong.

Deng has asked police to investigate claims that the injured official Huang Dezhi raped her before the attack. It's alleged the woman used a fruit knife to fatally stab Deng Guida and injure Huang.

Earlier, Ouyang Kaiping, spokesman of Badong county government, said political interference played no role in the sudden change of lawyers in the controversial case.

"This is completely the family's own decision. The government had absolutely nothing to do with it," Ouyang said.

According to the local police station, Deng's mother Zhang Shumei fired two Beijing lawyers, Xia Lin and Xia Nan, and turned to two local lawyers, Wang Shaopeng and Liu Gang.

News of the decision shocked Xia Lin and Xia Nan, who questioned the independence and legitimacy of Zhang's actions.

"As far as we are concerned, our contract with Deng Yujiao's mother Zhang has not been officially dissolved and thus is still valid," Xia Lin told China Daily.

Zhang has been out of reach since Saturday when she last spoke with Xia Lin.

"She (Zhang) is a very clever woman. She has a strong interest in law and she watches a lot of law programs on TV," said a friend of Zhang who asked to be anonymous.

However, Fan Chongyi, of China University of Political Science and Law, told China Daily that the legal relationship between a lawyer and client could be dissolved verbally or by letter.

One of Deng's new lawyers, Wang Shaopeng, said he met Deng on Monday in the detention house and got her authorization to act as her lawyer.

However, the abrupt change of lawyers has sparked doubts in the public, particularly netizens, on whether there was any official interference.

Xia Lin and Xia Nan on Monday presented a bill of indictment against Huang for attempted rape.

On Monday night, Xia Lin disclosed a detailed account of what happened on May 10 according to his interview with Deng.

Since yesterday, Badong police station has had five security guards at the door. China Daily's entry was refused and a request for an interview with bureau chief Yang Liyong was denied.

"I don't know about the bill of indictment," Zhang Yougang, the bureau's political commissar told China Daily on a telephone interview. He also refused to comment on whether Huang was under arrest.

Following Deng's death, almost all entertainment venues in Yesanguan have been closed.

In a notice published by Yesanguan government, 10 forbidden activities are listed, including "visiting expensive entertainment venues" and "gambling".

"There used to be many government officials coming here, but since Deng's case our business has plummeted," a masseuse surnamed Deng said.

(China Daily May 27, 2009)