Bo Xilai calls top witness 'vile liar'

The high-profile trial of disgraced Chinese Communist Party leader Bo Xilai was abruptly adjourned on the fourth day on Sunday as the defiant pro-Maoist strongman questioned the motives of prosecution witnesses, including his jailed wife.

The trial is due to resume Monday morning but there is no certainty as to when it would end and could go on for a while, state-run CCTV reported. The whole court investigation phase of this case was completed, according to the official media and Bo and prosecution was expected to argue their cases.

Bo, 64, a former politburo member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the head of the Chongqing city unit was dismissed last year after allegations of his wife Gu Kailai's involvement in the murder of a British businessman, Neil Heywood in November 2011 surfaced early last year.Bo, a hardline Maoist and critic of CPC reformist ideology unleashed his anger on Wang Lijun, the police chief of Chongqing whose defection to US Consulate in Chengdu blew the lid over the case. Wang, 53, who reportedly suffered a paralytic attack recently while serving a 15-year jail term, was so afraid of Bo's wrath over the investigation into Gu's involvement that he fled to the US mission to protect himself.

As the court heard on Saturday and Sunday of the abuse of power, specially his efforts to cover-up Gu's involvement in the murder, Bo hit back at Wang, calling him an "vile liar".

Such was the intense questioning that Bo's lawyers even called for medical examination of his claims of illness.