Bogu Kailai, the wife of disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai, has been charged with murdering British businessman Neil Heywood, Xinhua reported Thursday.
Bogu and Zhang Xiaojun, an orderly at Bo’s home, were “recently” prosecuted by Hefei Municipal Intermediate People’s Court in Anhui province, the news agency said.
It said there was “irrefutable and substantial” evidence that the pair had poisoned Neil Heywood, a British businessman who had commercial dealings with Bo and his wife.
“Investigation results show that Bogu Kailai, one of the defendants, and her son surnamed Bo had conflicts with the British citizen Neil Heywood over economic interests,” said the news report.
“Worrying about Neil Heywood’s threat to her son’s personal security, Bogu Kailai along with Zhang Xiaojun, the other defendant, poisoned Neil Heywood to death.”
Heywood’s death in a Chinese hotel room last November was initially blamed on excessive alcohol consumption.
The Hefei court will hold a trial “on a day to be decided”, Xinhua said, adding that their families had been informed. If convicted, Bogu faces the death penalty.
The scandal first came to light in February and has sent shockwaves through the highest echelons of power in China. Bo was sacked from his post as Communist Party leader of Chongqing city.