Bo Xilai trial continues for third day

Disgraced Chinese Communist party leader Bo Xilai was Saturday accused of embezzling 5 million yuan ($817,000) worth of project funds.

Wang Zhenggang, then director of the Dalian municipal bureau, testified at the Jinan Intermediate People's Court in east China's Shandong province on the third day of the trial of Bo, accused of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power, reports Xinhua.

The trial will continue Sunday.

The 64-year-old Bo is a former secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and a former member of the Central Committee Political Bureau.

During the trial Saturday, Wang Lijun, former vice mayor of Chongqing, also testified against Bo in court on charges of embezzlement and abuse of power.

Prosecutors presented audio-visual recordings of Bo's wife, Bogu Kailai, when she was questioned Aug 10.

Prosecutors also read testimonies by Zhao Dongping, director of the Beijing Angdao law offices, and Che Hui, former secretary to Bo among several witnesses.

Prosecutors also presented the statement written by Bo suggesting that he asked Wang to remit five million yuan of project funds to the bank account provided by Bogu Kailai.

The remitting was conducted as agreed by Bo and after Wang consulted with Bogu.

The evidences were examined by the prosecutors, the defendant and Bo's lawyers.

Bo claimed he did not intend to embezzle the funds, but said he should bear some responsibility for not having closely questioned the remittance of money to Bogu's account.

He said he took an "indulgent" attitude to the issue.

Prosecutors said the accusations about the illegal embezzlement of the project funds were presented clearly and the evidence was authentic.

The court investigation Saturday afternoon focused on the charge of Bo's abuse of power.

In 2012, while serving as the secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee, Bo abused his power when dealing with his wife Bogu Kailai's murder case and the attempted defection of his associate Wang Lijun, the indictment said.

Facing examination by prosecutors, Bo frequently said: "[I] cannot remember clearly. Procurators' investigation and verifications have final say".

Prosecutors, Bo and his lawyers also cross-examined Wang Lijun for close to one hour and 40 minutes.

Prosecutors and the defending side also fully examined the documentary evidence and other witnesses' testimonies.

In the first two days of trial, prosecutors accused Bo of accepting bribes worth about 21.8 million yuan ($3.5 million) from businessmen Tang Xiaolin and Xu Ming and embezzling five million yuan in public funds from the Dalian municipal government, but

Bo denied the charges.