Chinese Communist Party last night suspended a politician up sensationalism and named his wife as a suspect in the mysterious murder of a British businessman.
State media reported that Bo Xilai – widely tipped to the party leadership – had been suspended on suspicion of involvement in “serious breaches of discipline”. Gu Kailai his wife was arrested as murder suspect after Neil Heywood, a fixer for British magnates, died in a hotel room.
Mr. Heywood had close ties to Mr. Bo, former mayor of Chongqing – a mega-city in south-western China with 30 million
- Bo Xilai wife Gu Kailai son Bo Guagua.
people – and his wife, Gu a high-profile lawyer with his own practice .
They met a decade ago, when Mr. Bo committed father of two children, Mr. Heywood, 41, to teach his son English.
The Harrow-educated fluent Mandarin speaker was a trusted intermediary and well-respected among the British and Chinese movers and shakers.
Customers include Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin and Manganese Bronze, the manufacturer of London black cabs, in his work as Shoutao Bai, a “white glove” that smooths the way for connections and offers mutually beneficial.
After his death, last November the British authorities in China said he died of alcohol poisoning, although there was a virtual teetotaler.
Last night, speculation mounted that unspecified “economic interests” between Gu and Mr. Heywood, who was married to a Chinese woman, may have played a role in his death.
The official Xinhua news agency said: “Comrade, Bo Xilai, suspected of being involved in serious disciplinary violations.”
He added: “The results of re-investigation, the existing evidence indicates Heywood died of homicide, including Gu and Zhang Xiaojun Kailai, an assistant in the household of Bo, are strongly suspected.”
Gu and ordered the home of Mr. Bo were handed over to judicial authorities that China has announced a new investigation.
Communist Party leaders suspended Mr. Bo, 62, from the Politburo, thus ending his career.
Known as a flamboyant politician and telegenic populist with flair, he was considered a contender for the top echelons of the party leadership.
He gained notoriety for a crackdown against organized crime and a campaign to revive Mao Tse-Tung era communist songs and stories.
No comments:
Post a Comment