DHAKA: China’s disgraced former politician Bo Xilai is appealing against his sentence, reports say.

The former party chief of Chongqing was sentenced to life imprisonment on Sunday. He was found guilty of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.

The popular politician was removed from office last year amid a scandal which saw his wife convicted for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.

He denied all charges in a vigorous defence at his trial.

The downfall of Bo, who had been seen as a candidate for promotion to the Politburo Standing Committee, China’s top decision-making body, was the biggest political shake-up to hit China’s ruling elite in decades.

‘He informed the court yesterday of his request for an appeal following the verdict,’ media quoted a lawyer with ‘direct knowledge’ of the case as saying.

Another unnamed source quoted by the news agency said Bo would appeal against the ‘entire verdict’, reports the BBC.

BDST: 2031 HRS, SEPT 23, 2013
RoR/Jck