Former Chinese Communist Party politician Bo Xilai, on trial on charges of official corruption, has dismissed testimony from his wife that implicates him in wrongdoing, calling her insane and describing her testimony as "laughable."
With the trial in Jinan closed to Western reporters, Bo's comments Friday were taken from state media reports and lengthy trial transcripts posted on Chinese social media.
Bo's testimony followed a dramatic video posted online in which his imprisoned wife, Gu Kailai, said Bo was aware that a wealthy businessman had given the family a string of expensive gifts, described by prosecutors as bribes.
Bo was removed as party secretary of Chongqing and ousted from the Politburo last year, after that city's former police chief fled to a U.S. consulate with evidence about the Bo family's alleged involvement in the 2011 murder of a British businessman.
Prosecutors say Briton Neil Heywood was killed as a result of a financial dispute with Bo's wife, who was convicted of the murder last year and given a suspended death sentence, essentially a life term in prison.
The pre-recorded video released Friday provided the public's first glimpse of Gu since her sentencing.
Bo also faces abuse of power charges that accuse him of trying to obstruct the police probe of the Heywood murder. He is facing additional charges of embezzling $800,000 in government money set aside for a construction project.
Analysts say China's top political leaders almost certainly decided beforehand that Bo will be found guilty and receive a lengthy prison sentence, as in other sensitive political trials in China.
State broadcaster CCTV originally reported that the trial will only last two days and that a verdict is expected in early September.
With the trial in Jinan closed to Western reporters, Bo's comments Friday were taken from state media reports and lengthy trial transcripts posted on Chinese social media.
Bo's testimony followed a dramatic video posted online in which his imprisoned wife, Gu Kailai, said Bo was aware that a wealthy businessman had given the family a string of expensive gifts, described by prosecutors as bribes.
Bo was removed as party secretary of Chongqing and ousted from the Politburo last year, after that city's former police chief fled to a U.S. consulate with evidence about the Bo family's alleged involvement in the 2011 murder of a British businessman.
Prosecutors say Briton Neil Heywood was killed as a result of a financial dispute with Bo's wife, who was convicted of the murder last year and given a suspended death sentence, essentially a life term in prison.
The pre-recorded video released Friday provided the public's first glimpse of Gu since her sentencing.
Bo also faces abuse of power charges that accuse him of trying to obstruct the police probe of the Heywood murder. He is facing additional charges of embezzling $800,000 in government money set aside for a construction project.
Analysts say China's top political leaders almost certainly decided beforehand that Bo will be found guilty and receive a lengthy prison sentence, as in other sensitive political trials in China.
State broadcaster CCTV originally reported that the trial will only last two days and that a verdict is expected in early September.