A Chinese court has rejected the appeal of former
politician Bo Xilai and upheld his life sentence for
bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.
The former Chongqing Communist Party leader was
convicted of the charges in September.
He was removed from office in 2012 amid a scandal
which saw his wife convicted of a British businessman's
murder.
The high court in Shandong, the province where Bo's
trial was held, accepted his appeal earlier this month.
"The facts of the first instance verdict are clear, the
evidence is reliable, sufficient and the sentence is
appropriate," the high court said in its ruling, which
was posted on its website.
"The court rules as follows: reject the appeal, uphold
the original verdict. This verdict is the final ruling."
The hearing appeared to have been brief, with the
verdict coming about an hour after a convoy believed
to be carrying Bo was seen arriving at the court.
Footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed Bo's
elder son, Li Wangzhi, in court with other relatives.
Bo only receives one chance to appeal and his sentence
is now final. He could submit a complaint to the
Supreme People's Court in Beijing, but the vast
majority of such complaints are rejected and do not
result in another trial, reports the BBC's Celia Hatton in
Beijing.
Correspondents said few expected Bo's conviction to be
overturned. The courts are controlled by the ruling
Communist Party, from which Bo was expelled from
last year.
Shake-up
Bo Xilai, the charismatic former party chief in the city
of Chongqing in south-western China, was a member of
the powerful politburo - one of the 25 most senior
party officials in the country.
But he was removed from office last year amid a
scandal which began when his deputy, Wang Lijun,
sought refuge in the US consulate in Chengdu.
The incident prompted an investigation into the death
of British businessman Neil Heywood.
Bo Xilai's wife, Gu Kailai, was eventually convicted of Mr
Heywood's murder - a crime caused, the court said, by
a financial dispute.
Wang was also jailed for 15 years for helping Gu cover
up the murder.
Bo himself was found guilty of taking bribes amounting
to 20m yuan ($3.3m, £2m) either personally or
through his family. He was also accused of abusing his
office by using his position to cover up for his wife's
crime.
Bo's supporters, however, believe he is the victim of a
political purge. His downfall came as China prepared
for its once-in-a-decade leadership transfer, as one
generation of leaders made way for the next.
Bo had been seen as a candidate for the very top, until
his fall from grace. It was the biggest political shake-up
to hit China's ruling elite in decades.
The final verdict in the Bo case comes weeks before the
Communist Party holds a major meeting in November
to set economic policy.
politician Bo Xilai and upheld his life sentence for
bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.
The former Chongqing Communist Party leader was
convicted of the charges in September.
He was removed from office in 2012 amid a scandal
which saw his wife convicted of a British businessman's
murder.
The high court in Shandong, the province where Bo's
trial was held, accepted his appeal earlier this month.
"The facts of the first instance verdict are clear, the
evidence is reliable, sufficient and the sentence is
appropriate," the high court said in its ruling, which
was posted on its website.
"The court rules as follows: reject the appeal, uphold
the original verdict. This verdict is the final ruling."
The hearing appeared to have been brief, with the
verdict coming about an hour after a convoy believed
to be carrying Bo was seen arriving at the court.
Footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed Bo's
elder son, Li Wangzhi, in court with other relatives.
Bo only receives one chance to appeal and his sentence
is now final. He could submit a complaint to the
Supreme People's Court in Beijing, but the vast
majority of such complaints are rejected and do not
result in another trial, reports the BBC's Celia Hatton in
Beijing.
Correspondents said few expected Bo's conviction to be
overturned. The courts are controlled by the ruling
Communist Party, from which Bo was expelled from
last year.
Shake-up
Bo Xilai, the charismatic former party chief in the city
of Chongqing in south-western China, was a member of
the powerful politburo - one of the 25 most senior
party officials in the country.
But he was removed from office last year amid a
scandal which began when his deputy, Wang Lijun,
sought refuge in the US consulate in Chengdu.
The incident prompted an investigation into the death
of British businessman Neil Heywood.
Bo Xilai's wife, Gu Kailai, was eventually convicted of Mr
Heywood's murder - a crime caused, the court said, by
a financial dispute.
Wang was also jailed for 15 years for helping Gu cover
up the murder.
Bo himself was found guilty of taking bribes amounting
to 20m yuan ($3.3m, £2m) either personally or
through his family. He was also accused of abusing his
office by using his position to cover up for his wife's
crime.
Bo's supporters, however, believe he is the victim of a
political purge. His downfall came as China prepared
for its once-in-a-decade leadership transfer, as one
generation of leaders made way for the next.
Bo had been seen as a candidate for the very top, until
his fall from grace. It was the biggest political shake-up
to hit China's ruling elite in decades.
The final verdict in the Bo case comes weeks before the
Communist Party holds a major meeting in November
to set economic policy.
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