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Disgraced politician Bo Xilai’s former police chief will stand on trial on charges of defection and bribery. The case of former Chongqing Police Chief Wang Lijun will be heard on Tuesday in an open trial, an official at the Chengdu Intermediate People’s Court said. The official said that Wang has been charged with defection, bribe-taking, ‘bending the law for selfish ends’ and abuse of power. According to the Telegraph, Wang fled to the US consulate in the nearby city of Chengdu in early February after being demoted by Xilai, the city’s powerful Communist Party chief. During his overnight stay at the consulate, Wang expressed to the Americans his concerns about last year’s death of British businessman Neil Heywood in Chongqing . That prompted the British Embassy to request a new investigation, which uncovered that Heywood had been murdered. The case resulted in Bo’s dismissal in March and the conviction of Bo’s wife Gu Kailai for poisoning Heywood, apparently over a feud about money. According to the report, Shenyang-based attorney Wang Yuncai, reportedly a close friend of Wang, had previously said she has been approved by the court to serve as Wang Lijun's defence lawyer. Wang knew that Gu Kailai was under serious suspicion of murdering Heywood, but "consciously neglected his duty and bent the law for personal gain" so Gu would not be held responsible, the report said. Wang "left his post without authorisation and defected to the United States Consulate General in Chengdu ." It is not known if he made a direct request for asylum, something US diplomats say they would not have been able to grant, the report added. According to the report, Wang had been Bo's right-hand man in Chongqing , spearheading a controversial crackdown on organised crime that critics say featured torture and other violations of procedure, as well as illegal confiscation of assets and the targeting of political opponents.

Bo Xilai’s police chief to face trial for defection, bribery next week