The worst of corruption was in full display as trial of Bo Xilai continued on its second day. Prosecutors in the corruption trial submitted as evidence the testimony of the disgraced politician's wife, saying gifts from businessmen include plane tickets and accommodations to a French villa.
In response, Bo Xilai, the Chinese politician now undergoing trial for corruption charges, called his wife 'crazy'. He disputed the claim that the gifts were bribes and denied exchanging favors for the said gifts, had he received them.
In Bo's testimony to the Jinan Intermediate People's Court, he said, "Bogu Kailai has changed, she's crazy and she's always making things up. Under conditions where her mental state is abnormal, the investigators put her under immense pressure to expose me."
In the latest report from the People's Bank of China, the estimated cost of bribes that 16,000 officials had taken would be in the range of USD125 billion. In another report from a Chinese government office, namely the National Audit Office, said that embezzlement costs for housing alone reached USD471 million. This report pointed out that in 2005 alone, about USD35 billion worth of public funds have been misused by government officials.
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