China's Bo Xilai trial concludes; verdict due at later date

The closely watched trial of former high-flying Chinese politician Bo Xilai concluded Monday, the court hearing the case in eastern China said. The Jinan Intermediate People's Court said it would announce its verdict at a later date, which has yet to be determined. READ: Trial of China's Bo Xilai: Five things not to have missed Over the past five days of hearings, Bo contested the charges against him of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power. During the proceedings, the court heard allegations of extramarital affairs, a punch to the head, squabbles over a villa on the French Riviera and attempts to cover up the murder of a British businessman. A charismatic and divisive figure during his time in power, Bo defied expectations of a swift, straightforward trial by vigorously fighting back against the prosecution's case and ridiculing witness testimony. A former Communist Party chief of the sprawling southwestern metropolis of Chongqing, he was stripped of his posts and expelled from the party last year. His wife, Gu Kailai, was subsequently convicted of murdering Neil Heywood, a British businessman. During Bo's trial, hundreds of thousands of people have followed the official account of developments inside the courtroom, as relayed by the court's microblog. Journalists from the international news media weren't allowed inside the courtroom.