Former senior Chinese politician Bo Xilai has informed the court that convicted him to a life sentence over corruption that he will appeal, a source told AFP Monday, adding further drama to the high-profile case.
“He informed the court yesterday of his request for an appeal following the verdict,” a source with direct knowledge of the situation said.
The court in the eastern city of Jinan sentenced Bo on Sunday to life in prison after a sensational trial that exposed intrigue and wealth at the highest levels of the ruling Communist party.
Bo, a member of the party’s top 25-member Politburo before his downfall, was convicted of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.
He had been a popular politician with an unusually open and charismatic style, but his leftist streak and open ambition concerned the leadership.
The catalyst for his fall came when his top aide — then-Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun — fled in February 2012 to a US consulate with evidence that Bo’s wife had murdered a British businessman.
With factions at the senior most levels of the party reportedly split over how to handle the scandal, a year and a half passed before Bo went to trial, becoming the highest-profile official to do so in decades.
China's Bo Xilai to appeal life sentence: source
