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BEIJING, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- A trial court in Beijing Sunday sentenced former senior Communist Party official Bo Xilai to life in prison for his conviction on corruption charges. The state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Bo, a former member of the Chinese politburo, was given the sentence after being found guilty of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.
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The announcement of his punishment follows a five-day trial in Jinan Intermediate People's Court in August.
Prosecutors had argued for a lengthy sentence for the 64-year-old Bo, saying he had committed serious crimes and had refused to plead guilty.
Bo was quoted then as saying in his final statement he was satisfied with how his trial was conducted.
"During the trial, both prosecution and defense sides had opportunities to fully express their opinions," Bo said. "Also, the court released trial transcripts through microblog. All of these have made me more confident of the future of China's judicial system."
