Ex-police chief jailed in China scandal

A Chinese court has jailed former police chief Wang Lijun for 15 years, after finding him guilty on four charges, including seeking to conceal the murder of a British businessman, in a scandal involves one of the country's most ambitious politicians, Bo Xilai.

Lijun was jailed for ''bending the law for selfish ends, defection, abuse of power and bribetaking", Xinhua said.

The policeman's flight in February to a US consulate led to the downfall of his ex-boss, top politician Bo Xilai.

Bo's wife was convicted in August of killing UK national Neil Heywood. Wang was accused of helping in a cover-up.

Wang - the former chief of police in the city of Chongqing, where Bo Xilai was Communist Party leader - had faced up to 20 years in jail, but prosecutors called his co-operation "meritorious service".

The ''combined term'' of 15 years in prison included nine years for bribery, seven for bending the law, two for defection and two for abuse of power, state television reported.

'We decided to sentence him to 15 years altogether on all the four charges and deprive [him of] his political rights for one year," court spokesman Yang Yuquan told reporters.

''Wang Lijun said he wouldn't appeal after hearing the verdict," Yang said.

The verdict was ''in accordance with the law'', he added, saying three of Wang's relatives were at the hearing.

Wang's lawyer, Wang Yuncai, also told the Associated Press that the sentence was ''considered normal'' under Chinese law.

Both defection and bribery can carry the death penalty in China, but the prosecution and defence said Wang's co-operation with the authorities meant he was eligible for a lighter sentence, according to a statement made last week.
The main charges stem from a cascade of events triggered by Heywood's murder.

Officials have said the murder itself arose from a business dispute in Chongqing, the riverside municipality that Bo and Wang were the top officials for.

After first helping Gu evade suspicion of poisoning Heywood, Wang then kept evidence of the murder, according to the official account of Wang's trial. In late January, Wang confronted Bo with the allegation that Gu was suspected of killing Heywood.

Wang was "angrily rebuked" for this, news agencies reported.

Days later, Bo stripped Wang of his post as Chongqing police chief, and Wang, fearing for his safety, fled to the US consulate in Chengdu where he hid for more than 24 hours until Chinese officials coaxed him out.

The Chinese government has not said what will happen to Bo, who in March was sacked as party boss and in April suspended from the ruling Communist Party's Politburo, a powerful decision-making council with two dozen active members.

The verdict comes as China prepares to select new leaders in coming weeks.

It is due to hold a party congress that will see major changes in the top echelons of leadership, although specific dates have not been announced.

The ruling Communist Party must now decide whether Bo will face charges, and what his future political career may be. The controversial politician's downfall has dogged a leadership handover that was due to take place at a party congress later this year.