“I hope the trial will issue a warning to society and let more people draw lessons from me. ... For the Party organizations, people and relatives that have cared for me, I want to say here, sincerely, ‘I’m very, very sorry, I’ve let you down.’” — Wang Lijun

WANG LIJUN, Chongqing former vice mayor and former police chief, stood trial Monday and Tuesday on charges of bending the law for selfish ends, defection, abuse of power and bribe-taking in Chengdu, in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province.

After the trials, the court announced that the verdict would be delivered on a day to be decided.

Death of Heywood

Bogu Kailai and her son, surnamed Bo, had conflicts with British businessman Neil Heywood over economic interests. Bogu Kailai thought Heywood had endangered her son’s personal safety.

On the night of Nov. 13, Bogu Kailai and Zhang Xiaojun, a family assistant for Bogu Kailai, poisoned Heywood at the Lucky Holiday Hotel in Chongqing. At midnight, after a talk on the phone with Bogu Kailai, Wang Lijun was informed that she had met Heywood in the hotel and had a drink with him.

The next day, Bogu Kailai recounted her murder of Heywood in detail to Wang in her residence. Wang secretly recorded her confession.

“At noon on Nov. 14, Wang Lijun came to the No. 3 building (Bogu Kailai’s residence). When I met Wang Lijun that day, I told him in detail about how I met and poisoned Neil on the night of Nov. 13. He told me not to be bothered by the case, which would have nothing to do with me in the future. He also told me to erase my memories about the case. I told him I was a bit worried, he told me it would be fine within a week or two,” Bogu Kailai said while testifying at the trial.

On Nov. 15, after Heywood was found dead, Wang Lijun instructed Guo Weiguo, then deputy chief of the Chongqing Public Security Bureau and a close friend of Bogu Kailai, to handle the case without telling Guo or other policemen that he possessed clues and recorded evidence of Bogu Kailai’s involvement.

Later on, Wang called a vice chief of criminal investigations surnamed Huang away from the crime scene and asked him to leave the case.

The next morning, Guo Weiguo, Li Yang (former chief of the bureau’s crime department, sentenced), Wang Pengfei (former chief of the bureau’s technical detection team and also former chief of the Public Security Sub-bureau of Chongqing’s Yubei district, sentenced), and Wang Zhi (former executive deputy chief of the Public Security Sub-bureau of the municipality’s Shapingba District, sentenced) concluded that Heywood died from an alcohol overdose. Wang did not oppose their conclusion.

On Nov. 17, Wang offered Bogu Kailai a videotape showing her appearance in the hotel, extracted by Guo Weiguo and other policemen from the crime scene.

“Wang told me that it was a security videotape from the hotel that showed that no one visited Heywood after I left his place. He meant to protect me,” Bogu Kailai said in her testimony.

On Nov. 18, Heywood was cremated. That evening, Wang told Bogu Kailai about the cremation during a phone call.

Cause of conflict

Wang Lijun and Bogu Kailai had close relations, but that did not mean they had no conflicts. Evidence showed that prior to the Nov. 15, 2011 Case, or the death of Neil Heywood, conflicts had arisen between them.

On Aug. 12, 2011, Bogu’s son, surnamed Bo, wanted to meet Wang Lijun. Wang was in downtown Chongqing but did not want to meet Bo, so Wang asked his driver to tell Bo that he was in Wanzhou District. Bogu Kailai’s son almost had a traffic accident on his way to Wanzhou, making Bogu Kailai very angry with Wang.

After the Nov. 15, 2011 case, Bogu, worried about the case being exposed, took a series of actions, including destroying evidence, to ensure that it would not be. Wang was not pleased that Bogu turned up the heat by allowing an increasing number of people to learn about the incident.

On Dec. 14, 2011, Bogu held a banquet and invited Li Yang, Wang Pengfei, Wang Zhi and other individuals who took part in the investigation of Neil Heywood’s death and covered up her crime.

Wang Lijun said in his confession that “Guo Weiguo went to Beijing the next day, taking Wang Zhi and Wang Pengfei with him. I scolded Wang Zhi and Wang Pengfei seriously in front of Guo Weiguo. I think the words that I used to scold them have been disseminated back to Chongqing. Since Dec. 14 of last year (2011), Bogu Kailai turned hostile toward me, taking a different attitude from before when meeting me. She was not so warm as before and began to guard herself against me.”

The testimonies of Guo Weiguo, Wang Pengfei and Wang Zhi have confirmed the aforementioned details.

At the end of December 2011, four staff members working closely with Wang Lijun were investigated illegally, escalating the conflict between Wang and Bogu.

Relevant testimonies from witnesses showed that on Jan. 28, Wang Lijun reported to the then leading official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Chongqing Committee that Bogu Kailai was highly suspected in the Nov. 15, 2011 case. On the morning of Jan. 29, Wang Lijun was angrily rebuked and slapped in the face by the official.

Guo Weiguo, who was present when Wang Lijun was slapped, said in the interrogation record that “the conflict was made public after Wang Lijun was slapped.”

After the conflict had intensified, Wang Lijun on the same day ordered Li Yang and other individuals to re-obtain testimonies from witnesses, properly protect key material evidence, including the blood extracted from Heywood’s heart, reorganize the evidence and documents regarding Bogu’s suspicion in murdering Heywood, and provided his secret recording materials. Then, Wang Lijun gave the file to Li Yang and other individuals for transfer and storage.

Wang Zhi said in the interrogation record that on Jan. 29, Wang Lijun asked him, Wang Pengfei and Li Yang to go to his office and rearrange the Nov. 15, 2011 case file.

Defection

On Feb. 2, 2012, Wang Lijun, while keeping his job as Chongqing vice mayor, lost his job as the city’s police chief.

Also in early February, three staff members working closely with Wang were put under illegal investigation. Wang felt he was in danger, giving rise to his idea to defect.

On Feb. 6, under the pretext of discussing business, Wang entered the U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu at 2:31 p.m. without permission.

At the U.S. consulate, Wang immediately claimed that his personal security was threatened because of his investigation of criminal cases. He asked the United States to provide shelter for him and filled out an application for political asylum.

Wang left the U.S. consulate of his own volition at 11:35 p.m. on Feb. 7 through the persuasion and advice of relevant organs of Chongqing Municipality and central authorities. He said he would cooperate with investigations.

After leaving the U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu, Wang Lijun told relevant state organs that Bogu was suspected of murdering Heywood and provided relevant evidence and documents that he had accumulated.

Wang sent a letter to Li Yang and asked Li to turn in key material evidence, such as the blood from Heywood’s heart, to police who were reviewing the case.

More uncovered

During the investigation of Wang’s case, relevant authorities received a string of reports indicating that Wang was suspected of abusing power and taking bribes.

According to the indictment, Wang violated the country’s laws and regulations by using technical reconnaissance measures on a number of people since 2010, either without the approval of authorities or by forging approval documents. These acts have severely undermined the legal system and infringed citizens’ legitimate rights and interests.

Xinhua learnt from the courtroom the following major facts regarding Wang’s bribe-taking accusation.

In April 2009, when Wang served as Chongqing police chief, one of Wang’s immediate family members was transferred to a working position in Beijing. Not having a residence in Beijing, the family member of Wang received two apartments in Beijing bought by Xu Ming, board chairman of the Dalian Shide Group Co. Ltd. at a price of 2.85 million yuan (US$449,583). The apartments were registered under the name of Wang’s father-in-law. After the deal, Wang gave his thanks to Xu in person.

In July of the same year, Wang, at the request of Xu, instructed law enforcement departments in Chongqing to release three people, respectively surnamed Pan, Wang and Zhang, who were under detention.

Moreover, Yu Junshi, legal representative of the Dalian Shiyuan Trade Co. Ltd., made two payments to cover the rent for Wang Lijun’s villa in Chongqing totaling 200,000 yuan in September 2008, when Wang was the executive deputy chief of Chongqing Public Security Bureau, and in November 2009, when he was Chongqing Public Security Bureau chief. In October 2009, Wang, at the request of Yu, ordered law enforcement departments in Chongqing to release a person surnamed Yang who was under detention.

While being investigated, Wang produced important clues that exposed serious offenses committed by others. Such clues played a key role in the investigation of other cases.  (Xinhua)