Bo Xilai, in court on Sunday, stands accused of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power. Photograph: Reuters  Fallen Communist party boss Bo Xilai has launched a scathing verbal attack on his former second-in-command Wang Lijun as his trial's fourth day came to a close, dismissing Wang's testimony as "full of lies".  On Saturday, Wang, 53, police captain of the south-western municipality of Chongqing while Bo was its party chief, recounted the events following the murder of a British businessman in November 2011 that led to Bo's downfall.  Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, had poisoned Neil Heywood after a property deal went sour, and Wang, fearing persecution by Bo for his investigation into the case, fled to the US consulate in a neighbouring city seeking political asylum.  Bo stands accused of using his position to cover up the murder.  Bo, 64, who is on trial in eastern China accused of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power, has admitted some responsibility for Wang's defection, but denied he engaged in criminal behaviour.  "Wang Lijun's testimony is full of lies, it is completely not reliable or credible," Bo said, according to court transcripts posted online. The trial was adjourned on Sunday morning and was set to resume on Monday.  Last year, Wang was sentenced to 15 years in prison for charges including abuse of power, defection and taking bribes. Gu is serving a suspended death sentence for intentional homicide.  Bo has testified that he initially believed Wang had framed his wife for the murder. On Sunday, he refuted details of Wang's testimony, denying he had punched Wang in a fit of rage after learning about the case. The blow, he said, was more of a slap. "I am not a boxer," Bo said. "I do not have that kind of power."  On Saturday, Wang testified that Bo, in a last-ditch effort to protect his wife, had hushed Wang's subordinate officers and asked him to hand over hard drives containing details of the investigation. Wang said his situation "was very dangerous", forcing him to flee the city.  Yet Bo, who stands accused of unlawfully stripping Wang of his post in late January 2012, argued that he fired Wang for reasons unrelated to the murder. The police chief was mentally unsound, he said, and had already requested a new position. "This person is extremely bad – he slandered me in court," Bo said. "Second, he tried to create confusion. This kind of person's testimony does not have legal credibility."  While Bo has put up a feisty defence over the past four days, denying many of the prosecution's central charges, many analysts say that he will almost certainly be found guilty and sentenced to at least a decade in jail. In China, the ruling Communist party controls the courts, and verdicts for politically sensitive cases are usually decided well in advance.  Five-day trials are rare in China – Bo's hearing was originally expected to last only two days. Most of the country's criminal trials last a few hours.
Disgraced Communist party boss turns on former deputy Wang Lijun in court and denies he punched him in fit of rage