Bo Xilai charged with bribery, embezzlement, power abuse

Bo Xilai, former Communist Party of China (CPC) chief of Chongqing Municipality, has been charged with taking bribes, embezzlement and abuse of power, according to Jinan City People's Procuratorate in east China's Shandong Province. 

   Bo's indictment was delivered to the Jinan City Intermediate People's Court on Thursday. 

   Bo took the advantage of his position as a civil servant to seek gains for others, as well as accepted bribes in the form of large amounts of money and property, according to the indictment. 

   He also embezzled a large amount of public money and abused his power, seriously harming the interests of the state and people, the document said. 

   Bo has been informed of his legal rights and interviewed by prosecutors. His defending counsel has delivered its opinion, the prosecutors said. 

   The CPC Central Committee announced in April 2012 that it had decided to suspend Bo's membership in the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and the CPC Central Committee, as he was

suspected of being involved in serious discipline violations. The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection also filed the case for investigation. 

   In September, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee decided to expel Bo from the CPC and his public office. The bureau also decided to transfer Bo's suspected law violations and relevant evidence to judicial organs. 

   Bo, 64, also formerly served as mayor of the city of Dalian, governor of northeast China's Liaoning Province and China's minister of commerce.

(Updated)