By Simon Montlake, Forbes Staff Ever since his removal from political office last March, Bo Xilai has been waiting for his day in court. First, it was his wife Gu Kailai standing trial for the murder of a British consultant (guilty). Then his former police chief Wang Lijun stood accused of abusing his power (guilty). The third and final act will be Bo’s trial. Last week a pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong reported that the trial would begin Monday in Guiyang. This now appears to be false. Another newspaper said that a trial would likely follow the National People’s Congress held in March. In any event, there is no reason for haste, since Bo’s political career is over. Cynics might ask why a trial even matters, since a guilty verdict is a foregone conclusion. But how the trial plays out, and the severity of the sentence, carries weight within the party, where Bo’s rise and fall resonates. It also has implications for new leader Xi Jinping‘s anti-corruption drive, since this is ostensibly a story of ill-gotten gains, though it speaks more broadly to the abuse of political power in China. Xi said last week that no cadre would be spared, leading to speculation over a ‘big fish’ (or ‘tiger’) arrest.
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