Charges filed in death of Briton Neil Heywood

Bogu Kailai and Zhang Xiaojun were recently charged with intentional homicide by the Hefei People's Procuratorate in East China's Anhui province, Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.

The city prosecutors filed the charges with the Hefei Intermediate People's Court.

Prosecutors have informed the two defendants and the family of the victim of their litigation rights during the investigation period, according to the Xinhua report.

They have interrogated Bogu Kailai and Zhang Xiaojun and heard the opinions of their lawyers.

Investigation results show that Bogu Kailai, one of the defendants, and her son had conflicts with the British citizen Neil Heywood over financial interests. Worrying about "Neil Heywood's threat" to her son's safety, Bogu Kailai and Zhang Xiaojun poisoned Neil Heywood to death, Xinhua cited prosecutors as saying.

The facts of the two defendants' crime are clear, and the evidence is irrefutable and substantial, prosecutors said, suggesting the two defendants should be charged with intentional homicide.

The Hefei Intermediate People's Court has received the case, and a trial date will be set.

Bogu Kailai is the wife of Bo Xilai, former Party chief of Southwest China's Chongqing municipality and a former member of the Political Bureau of Communist Party of China Central Committee.

In March Bo Xilai was replaced by Vice-Premier Zhang Dejiang as Party chief of Chongqing.

In April, the CPC Central Committee suspended Bo from his posts at the committee and its Political Bureau because "Bo is suspected of being involved in serious violations of discipline".

Bo is under investigation by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Xinhua