Bo Xilai expelled from national legislature post

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, announced Friday the termination of Bo Xilai's post as an NPC deputy.

The Standing Committee of Chongqing Municipal People's Congress removed the former high-ranking official, who was suspected of violating laws, from his post as the NPC deputy late last month.

"According to the law on deputies to the NPC and to local people's congresses, his post was terminated," said a statement of the NPC Standing Committee, which wrapped up a bimonthly session on Friday.

The Political Bureau of the the Communist Party of China Central Committee decided at a meeting on Sept 28 to deprive Bo of his CPC membership and expel him from public service for severe disciplinary violations.

Bo was formerly secretary of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee and also a Political Bureau member, after serving as Dalian mayor, Liaoning governor and minister of commerce.

The Sept 28 meeting also decided to transfer Bo's suspected legal violations and relevant evidence to judicial departments.

Investigations have found that Bo seriously violated CPC discipline while managing Dalian city, Liaoning province and the Ministry of Commerce, as well as while serving as the Political Bureau member and the Chongqing Party chief.

Investigations also showed Bo had abused his power, made severe mistakes and bore major responsibility for an incident in which former Chongqing vice-mayor Wang Lijun entered the US consulate general in Chengdu without permission, and for an intentional homicide case involving Bogu Kailai, Bo's wife.

A Chinese court on Aug 20 sentenced Bogu Kailai to death with a two-year reprieve for murdering British citizen Neil Heywood.

Bo was accused of taking advantage of his position to seek profits for others and received huge bribes personally or through his family.

His position was utilized by his wife to seek profits for others, and the Bo family accepted a huge amount of money and property from others.

He was also found to have violated organizational and personnel discipline and made erroneous decisions in certain promotion cases, resulting in serious consequences.

(China Daily 10/27/2012 page1)