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Posts Tagged ‘Neil Heywood’

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Sex, Money, Murder and now Missing. Corrupt Communist Bo Xilai Disappears

In China, Public Affairs on 6 September 2012 at 8:53 AM

Bo Xilai sure knows how to create a mess. He rose through the ranks of the Communist Party of China and was running a large Province in the south of China. He was credited with an anti-corruption and anti-crime drive that made Chongqing safe again. Thousands were arrested (some falsely, say human rights leaders).

Then it all went horribly wrong. Today Bo Xilai is nowhere to be found.

In February Bo Xilai’s top aide and the chief of police in the province walked into the USA Consulate seeking diplomatic protection. He feared for his life. He knew Bo Xilai’s wife had committed murder.

Two days later he left the protection of the United States. Did he have other options? He was immediately arrested. Yesterday he was formally charged and awaits trial.

As a result, Bo Xilai’s wife, Gu Kailai, was arrested and charged with murder. She killed Neil Heywood after he threatened her son and demanded money. Some reports had them on holidays together. Last month she was tried and sentenced to a suspended death sentence. She will spend the rest of her life in prison.

The other two policemen implicated in the cover-up of the murder by Gu Kailai are awaiting trial.

So that leaves Bo.

Bo Xilai is a Party man (not as in frat house – more as in Communist).

He had been a rising star. He had represented to left faction of a fractious national party. He favoured Mao ideology and was known for singing Communist songs from the 1950s.

He was in direct contrast to the ruling factions of China today. President Hu Jintao and his anointed successor favour modernisation and a market forces. Bo Xilai and his supporters want the State to take a larger role – again. They fear the next President of China will be like Gorbachev, presiding over the break-up of their nation.

Bo has friends. Bo has power. But Bo did wrong.

Since the scandal broke in February Bo Xilai has kept a low profile. For the past four months he’s been reclusive. Yet to date he has not been charged with any crimes. Instead he’s seen his titles and his powers stripped away.

Today Bo Xilai is missing. Maybe he’s in a “re-education through labour” camp in the extreme hinterlands of China. More likely Bo Xilai is under house arrest. Or incredulously he could be in a beach front resort favoured by top Communist leaders waiting out his penance in five-star luxury.

Wherever he is he’ll emerge soon. China convenes a Communist party meeting soon to elect a new leadership team. They’ll want this Bo mess all tidied up before then.

Until then, if you see Bo – tell him to look busy.

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Murdered By Poison, then a Character Assassination: No Justice for Neil Heywood

In China, Public Affairs on 21 August 2012 at 12:17 PM

Neil Heywood was the victim in the Gu Kailai murder trial. First he was poisoned to death. Then he was character assassinated. No one stood up for the victim, and his purported quotes, actions and dealings were taken at face value. Even the accused put words in his mouth.

Neil Heywood suffered a punishing character assassination long after he was murdered.

Neil Heywood: Business professional, family man, murder victim

Yesterday Gu Kailai was sentenced for her crime. She received a suspended death sentence, meaning for two years she will not be executed and the death penalty will be commuted after that if she behaves well. I think that means she better make her jail cot and try not to poison anyone else.

More than anything, Gu Kailai  better not complain or bring attention to her case.

But what about Neil Heywood? An evaluation of the man solely based on trial testimony paints a very unflattering picture. He was a business partner scorned who threatened the child of a long-time friend. He was going to expose international money transfers and wanted a big slice of the action. He drank so much he vomited. Gu Kailai was not sentenced to death because she was protecting her son from harm.

While testimony has been used to explain the illegal actions of Gu Kailai, it has also been a non-stop character assassination of Neil Heywood – a devoted husband and father of two. Let’s explore further.

Neil was born in 1970 and attended Warwick University where he studied international relations. In the early 1990s he moved to China where he met then married his wife, Wang Lulu. Together they have two children.

In China Neil set up a consulting firm working with international companies looking to expand in China. One client, John Russell, chief executive of London Taxi manufacturer Manganese Bronze, had the highest praise for his work:

“Neil did have an ability to work through contacts and build relationships,” Mr Russell told the BBC. “The way he handled his business with us was immaculate. He just went about his business in a thoroughly professional, very English, way.”

He met Gu Kailai in the mid-1990s when he was living in Dalian. Her husband, Bo Xilai, also became friends with Neil Heywood. Over the years the families had more and more business and social engagements. In time it became twisted and challenging to maintain.

In 2010 Neil Heywood was denied a British passport for his wife. They were unable to leave China. It is unclear if this attempt to relocate was due to strained relations with Bo Xilai and Gu Kailai. Some report of purloined papers that incriminated Bo Xilai to insure Neil Heywood against retribution. Others say the two families had no business dealings.

Initial Reports of His Death Were Confusing

In November 2011 Neil Heywood was found dead in a hotel room in Chongqing. The cause of his death was listed as alcohol poisoning. His family was pressured not to request an autopsy by police who would later be convicted of trying to cover up a crime. His body was cremated immediately.

Neil Heywood leaves behind a bereaved widow, who has retreated from public eye. He has a son and daughter who attend an international school in Beijing. The family lives in a walled compound on a tree-lined street in Beijing. His widow Wang Lulu could not speak of his death because she was very sad.

Wang Lulu, Widow of Neil Heywood

(For more on Neil Heywood read this article on BBC News.)

 

 

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Waiting is Murder in China: Gu Kailai Awaits Sentencing

In China on 13 August 2012 at 11:28 AM

The latest episode of the Bo Xilai and Gu Kailai drama has left a nation waiting on the edge of its seat. Last Thursday in a nondescript courthouse away from the power base of the fallen Communist Party leader Bo Xilai, his wife pleaded guilty to murder. She poisoned Neil Heywood. Her trial lasted one day.

Over the weekend Xinhua News Agency has provided ample evidence. In-depth stories provided the details of the murder and its motivation. Gu was being blackmailed by Heywood. He threatened her son. Heywood wanted money for a botched real estate investment made with the son. Heywood knew of overseas funds transfers. He would get paid or expose the child of Gu Kaila and Bo Xilai to authorities.

Tiger Mom got even.

Gu Kailai in court last Thursday (Source: The Guardian)

After Neil Heywood vomited from too much alcohol, Gu mixed poison into water then poured it into his moth. His death was ruled an accident from alcohol poisoning by corrupt policemen, who now await trial. Heywood’s family was pressured into a fast cremation without an autopsy.

“I will accept and calmly face any sentence and I also expect a fair and just court decision,” Gu Kailai was reported by Xinhua to have said at trial.

The one day trial and selfless confession have many Sinophiles suggesting the event was pre-scripted and well negotiated. Gu agrees to a speedy trial and avoids the death sentence, as she was protecting her child. Gu will accept the blame and make it less likely her husband will face serious charges. The parents will suffer to free their child. In all, most expect Gu Kailai to spend at least a decade in jail before a pardon when her case is almost forgotten.

(From left) Gu Kailai and husband Bo Xilai (Source: The Epoch Times)

More await the next step in the saga of Bo Xilai. He was a rising power-broker in the Communist Party who was ideologically out of step with the ruling elite. Instead of reforms, Bo favoured a return to Maoism. He was known for singing robust renditions of old Communist classics. He enacted social policies to look after the poor and disenfranchised. He believed Communism meant looking after the collective good of the people. He was popular with the Army.

All of this made him a powder keg when his senior-most police chief tried unsuccessfully to defect to the USA Consulate. He was said to be scared of Bo when the murder was uncovered. In alarming speed news of the cover-up circulated globally, Bo was stripped of his power and his wife was arrested.

Today there are no charges leveled against Bo Xilai. His wife, on the other hand, sits in prison awaiting sentencing. Their son Bo Guagua is still in America and is completely inaccessible.

Whatever does occur will happen soon. China is preparing for a change of leadership and the disquiet of Bo and Gu are spoiling their party. Before the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China convenes this autumn, both Bo Xilai and Gu Kailai will have been dealt with and removed from the headlines.

For Gu, China is waiting to see if she is removed from more than just the headlines. While most assume her confession buys her her life, it is still possible she could face execution.

Like Gu Kailai, the entire nation is waiting.

Wall Newspaper Readers in China

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Murder, She Wrote…ehr…Did: Former Communist Leader’s Wife Accused of Murder

In China, Public Affairs on 27 July 2012 at 4:29 PM

Angela Lansbury better brush up on her Mandarin, and get her butt over to Chongqing. Gu Kailai will be tried for murder. She is the wife of disgraced former head of Chongqing Region, Bo Xilai (see earlier post). And this is definitely a capital crime. Lose your trial, Gu, and you’ll be executed (and likely harvested for organs – sorry, but it’s true).

Angela, get on your bike!

Ni Hao, Angela?

Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday that Gu Kailai will be tried for the intentional homicide of Neil Heywood, a British businessman who was a close family friend. The murder weapon was poison. The motivation was that Heywood knew of extremely large money transfers and threatened to tell authorities and implicate her son.

Yet news in China is never that straightforward. Xinhua actually reported:

“Worried about Neil Heywood’s threat to her son’s personal safety, Bogu (Gu) Kailai together with Zhang Xiaojun poisoned Neil Heywood.”

Analysts say the mention of her only son in the news reports signal a softer approach to sentencing by China’s Authorities. Courts can impose as little as three years jail time if the murder was in response to threats against the person or their family.

They need all the wiggle room they can get. Bo Xilai is a very popular political figure amongst traditionalist Communists. He is renowned for his patriotism, his equitable programs for the poor and his ardour for all things Mao.

It would be…bad blood…to execute Bo Xilai’s wife. (Her cohort Zhang Xiaojun may as well select a funeral suit because somebody’s going down for this crime.)

All this comes at an inconvenient time for the Communist Party of China. They’re preparing for the 18th National People’s Congress sometime this fall. This celebration of the great and good China need not be impeded by a tawdry murder. Expect a quick trial to resolve this. Fast.

Sadly they lack a corpse. Heywood was cremated right after his death. There’s no autopsy report, either. But I won’t imagine that would interfere with a guilty verdict. This crisis has been playing itself out in the daily newspapers since it broke in February.

I forecast a rapid trial and an appeal within two weeks. Then two cars will leave the courthouse, one heading to a white-collar prison with Gu Kailai and the other to a remote field with Zhang Xiaojun and a gunman.

Angela, get moving!

Gu Kailai – Charged With Murder

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Britian Demands Answers from China: Bo Xilai, Gu Kailai and Neil Heywood

In China on 18 April 2012 at 9:44 AM

In London this week there’s a hot seat and Chinese government officials are sitting in it. While in the UK for trade talks senior British officials are raising their concerns over the death of Neil Heywood.

Mr Heywood was a close friend to Bo Xilai and his wife, Gu Kailai. In November last year he was found dead in a hotel room. Local authorities said he died of alcohol poisoning and he was quickly cremated. No autopsy was performed.

This is when the Internet took off and rumours circulated wide and free. Let me attempt to consolidate the conspiracy theories. Please note not all of the following bullet points have been proven – for all I know they could be far from the facts.

  • One theorist speculated that Heywood was aware of a very sizeable funds transfer overseas by Gu Kailai. Some say it was RMB$8 billion (equal to US$1 billion). Clearly he wasn’t supposed to know and he was poisoned to conceal the truth.
  • It is a known fact that the Chief of Police sought refuge in the U.S. Consulate. Wang Lijun entered the U.S Consulate in Chingqing on 6 February in an attempt to defect. He stayed for 10 hours and later left.
  • What is reported online now is that Wang approached Bo Xilai about his suspicion that Bo’s wife was involved in the murder of Heywood. Apparently Bo erupted and excused Wang from his office. After he calmed down he called him back in. After this encounter Wang sought protection from the US Government.
  • Last week Bo Xilai was stripped of all his roles in the Communist party. His wife was arrested on suspicion of murder. She is in detention and will face a death penalty trial.
  • Supporters of Bo suggest the entire case was fabricated to undermine a rising star with Maoist ideology. Bo supported the disenfranchised and poor. He was against rampant capitalism.
  • Back to rumours! In late March Weibo commentators wrote that Bo Xilai supporters had gathered on Zhongnanhai in an attempted coup against the government. Zhongnanhai is a secure compound around a peaceful lake adjacent to the Forbidden City. Most senior government officials reside there.
  • Switch to facts! Weibo has been heavily edited with a temporary block keeping people from commenting or sharing posts during the two days of coup comments. Now any posts supportive of Bo or Gu are removed.

According to The Wall Street Journal, members of the Chinese delegation in London today reassured Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg that an investigation was underway to uncover the facts of the case. Britons had criticised the government for not doing enough.

Back in China the widow of Neil Heywood was warned not to discuss the case with media. This advance warning is usually reserved for political activists. Mrs Heywood hadn’t been discussing the case before the official request.

Poison. Murder. Defection. Coup. Cover-up. Investigation.

Much like Alice in Wonderland, the Bo Xilai case keeps getting curiouser and curiouser.

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Fact, Fiction or Fairy Tale? Bo Xilai Stripped from China Communist Party

In China, Public Affairs on 11 April 2012 at 9:54 AM

“Once upon a time in Chongqing…”

Bo Xilai came to fame fighting corruption and restoring law and order in one of China’s mega-cities. Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of it before – it only has 28 million inhabitants. Compared to New York’s 22 million it’s somewhat significant.

In this fairy tale back in 2007 he was appointed as the Communist Party of China (CPC) Chongqing Committee Secretary, first-in-charge of the Western interior municipality.  He gained fame during a strong program against organised crime. He also championed the rights of the disenfranchised and poor. To many he was a leader of the “New Left” as a counter-balance to the free market extremes seen across China today.

He had an out-sized personality and a growing cadre of admirers. He was tipped to join the nine person Politburo Standing Committee of China. These are the nine most influential people in all of China.

Then it unraveled.

In March Bo’s top lieutenant and chief of police sought refuge in the U.S. Consulate. Wang Lijun entered the U.S Consulate in Chingqing on 6 February in an attempt to defect. He stayed for 10 hours and was later expelled. The Obama Administration refused his request for asylum. This event led to Bo Xilai’s loss of his Party post and his removal from the Politburo in March this year.

Today the unraveling became monumental.

Bo Xilai has been stripped of his Communist Party membership. He is suspected of “serious discipline violations” according to Xinhua, the state news agency. Furthermore his wife is being held in prison. She is “highly suspect” in the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.

On one level this is a moral tale of a politician who aspired to greatness and reached too far. A modern day Icarus. In his drive to stop corruption and organised crime he thought himself above the law. The flight of his police chief to the U.S. Consulate – was that a man trying to flee an autocrat’s reach? And the wife involved in a murder – couldn’t a top Communist boss just make that disappear? Relocate the action to Florida and I swear I saw that episode on CSI: Miami.

But in China there is never one level. Yes the above may be proven true. But there’s an epic battle on between the ruling members of the Politburo Standing Committee for leadership of the country. Later this year the country’s leadership will change. Vying for power are free market reformists, traditional Communists and members of the New Left (think New Labour with free rice). Bo Xilai was a populist leader who promoted Maoist ideology.

Amid the intrigue and rumour there have been facts – and fictions:

  • FACT: At the close of the recent meeting of the National People’s Congress, Premier Wen Jiabao held a now-famous three hour press conference. He said the leadership of Chongqing should “reflect and learn from” the scandal caused when the police chief tried to defect.
  • FICTION: Supporters of Bo Xilai attempted a coup at the Zhongnanhai compound for Party leaders in Beijing. Rumours circulated quickly on Chinese micro-blogging site Sina Weibo.
  • FACT: Micro-blog site Sina Weibo users were blocked from commenting on other posts in an unprecedented crack-down to try and stem rumours of a coup.
  • FICTION: Bo Xilai said hs wife was a “stay at home Mom” but investigations by The Wall Street Journal show her involved in several businesses in China, Britain and the US.

Today some facts remain. Businessman Neil Heywood is dead. Bo Xilai has been stripped of all titles. His wife, Gu Kailai, is in prison facing charges of poisoning Mr Heywood. And in the process, an epic power struggle for the future of China has been laid bare.

Stay tuned. This fairy tale is far from an ending.

“Happily Ever After?”

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