Wang Lijun trial begins in Chengdu
Wang Lijun, the former Chongqing police chief, is questioned by reporters at the National People’s Congress on March 6, 2011 in Beijing, China.
Controversial Chinese police chief Wang Lijun's secret Chengdu trial has begun, reports the BBC, as the political fallout of the Bo Xilai scandal continues to settle.
The trial, which will be held at Chengdu's Intermediate People's Court, follows a day of closed proceedings on Monday where Wang was tried for defection and abuse of power, reports the Los Angeles Times.
It's unclear when verdicts will be released to the public or when sentencing will be announced, the LA Times added.
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Wang — a known corruption fighter in China — entered the public eye in February, when he briefly hid out in the Chengdu US Consulate after revealing details of the Bo Xilai murder case to the United States.
Wang levied the initial accusation against Gu Kailai, wife of prominent politician Bo Xilai, of poisoning British businessman Neil Heywood in Chongqing — igniting a fiery scandal among China's political elite.
According to Xinhua, quoting from the indictment, Wang "had clearly known that Bogu Kailai (Gu Xilai) was under serious suspicion of murdering Neil Heywood, but consciously neglected his duty and bent the law for personal gain so that Bogu Kailai would not be held legally responsible," the Wall Street Journal reported.
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The Wall Street Journal reports that prosecutors in Gu Xilai's trial claimed that Wang planned to have Heywood painted as a drug dealer and then shot, but then decided not to go through with the plan.
The indictment itself, via Xinhua, claims "Wang, as a state functionary who knew state secrets, left his post without authorization and defected to another country's consulate while he was performing his official duty."
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Gu Xilai was charged with murder in the Heywood case in August, and was given a suspended death sentence, which is likely to be downgraded to a life sentence after she spends two years in jail.
Bo Xilai remains legally unaffected by the scandal, although he has been ousted as Chongqing's party chief.