Hong Kong (CNN) -- The disgraced politician at the center of China's biggest political scandal in years has been linked to a criminal act for the first time since he was removed from office, the state-run Xinhua news agency has reported. Bo Xilai, who was head of the Communist Party in the southwestern city of Chongqing and once seen as a future president, was reportedly warned by his former right-hand man that his wife was suspected of murder. The revelation came during this week's trial of Wang Lijun, Bo's former police chief and vice mayor in Chongqing. In the first official account of the two-day hearing, the court was told that Wang was "angrily rebuked" and slapped on the face by Bo -- who the report referred to as the major official in charge of Chongqing's municipal party committee -- when he revealed his suspicions, Xinhua said.
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Bo Xilai's former right-hand man said he warned his boss his wife was a murder suspect
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Wang Lijun was stranding trial for abuse of power, defection and bribe-taking
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Wang is also accused of covering up for Gu Kailai, who was convicted of murder
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Gu was jailed in August for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood last year
Wang Lijun
Wang
Wang Lijun
Wang
He told police: "Once @placeholder was slapped, the hostility between Wang and Bo came out into the open."
Wang Lijun
Wang
Wang Lijun
Wang
He told police: "Once Wang was slapped, the hostility between @placeholder and Bo came out into the open."
Bo Xilai
Bo
Bo
Bo Xilai
He told police: "Once Wang was slapped, the hostility between Wang and @placeholder came out into the open."
Gu Kailai
Gu
In his confession, Wang described how @placeholder became hostile "and began to guard herself against me," Xinhua said.
Wang Lijun
Wang
Wang Lijun
Wang
Appointed to the top job in Chongqing in 2007, @placeholder was assigned to lead his crime-fighting program.
Bo Xilai
Bo
Bo
Bo Xilai
Speaking to reporters on March 9 on the sidelines of a panel discussion of Chongqing delegates, @placeholder defended his policies.
Bo Xilai
Bo
Bo
Bo Xilai
But until the trial of Wang, there had been no suggestion @placeholder had been aware of his wife's actions before her arrest and conviction for murder.