CHINA DAILY, XINHUA (China), BBC (UK)
BEIJING – Bo Xilai, who had once been destined for a top position in the Chinese Communist Party ranks, has been expelled from the party and faces corruption charges, reports state newspaper China Daily.
The decision was made at a Central Committee meeting on Friday, presided by Chinese President Hu Jintao. Members of the Communist party’s Politburo also decided to transfer Bo’s “suspected law violations and relevant clues to judicial organs,” meaning he would face charges relating to alleged corruption, abuse of power, bribe-taking and improper relations with women, reports the BBC.
According to a statement reported by the Xinhua state news agency, Bo, the former Communist Party chief for the southwestern city of Chongqing, “abused his powers of office, committed serious errors and bears a major responsibility.”
“Bo Xilai’s actions created grave repercussions, and massively damaged the reputation of the party and the state,” the statement said.
perfect timing to release the Bo Xilai news when millions are on the road to home for holidays and many of them won’t be online until Oct.8
— Li Yuan (@LiYuan6) September 28, 2012
On Friday, the Central Committee also announced that the 18th National Congress of the CPC would convene on Nov. 8 in Beijing, reports Xinhua.
The Bo Xilai scandal, China’s biggest in decades, has overshadowed the run-up to the National Congress, which is expected to see Xi Jinping replace Hu Jintao as president.
Before the scandal broke, Bo Xilai had been primed for a position on the nine-member Politburo Standing Committee.
