A Chinese court on Monday sentenced Wang Lijun to 15 years in prison and deprived him of his political rights for one year after finding him guilty of bending the law for selfish ends, defection, abuse of power and bribe-taking. The policeman’s flight in February to a US consulate led to the downfall of his ex-boss, top politician Bo Xilai.
The 52 year old could have faced execution as bribe-taking carries the death penalty in China, depending on the amount involved and the seriousness of the case. Wang was given a comparatively light sentence because he helped turn in a number of police accomplices, who received shorter sentences.
Wang could have received life imprisonment, or even a death sentence, and his sentence is regarded as relatively mild. Wang concealed from police the fact that Bogu Kailai had recounted her poisoning of Heywood to him, as well as he hid a recording of her recount.
Wang’s lawyer, Wang Yuncai, also told the Associated Press that the sentence was ”considered normal” under Chinese law. After a one-day trial in August, Gu was found guilty of poisoning British businessman Neil Heywood in a hotel room in Chongqing last November.
Wang sealed his fate at a trial a week ago by admitting the charges, according to an official account of the hearing published by Xinhua. Only official media outlets were allowed inside the courtroom. The scandal that felled both men erupted after Gu murdered her lover Mr Heywood in a hilltop hotel villa in Chongqing, the city where Bo was the flamboyant party chief.
Wang also offered Bogu Kailai a video recording that showed her at the crime scene on the night of Heywood’s death in an attempt to prevent her from being prosecuted. During his term in Chongqing Wang had also committed other offences, including illegally releasing four suspects in return for property and money totalling more than 3m yuan (US$476,000; £294,000), Xinhua said.
