Former Chinese politician Bo Xilai will stand trial on Thursday, Aug. 22 on charges of bribery, graft and abuse of power. In a brief statement the state run news agency Xinhua said that Bo will stand "open trial" at the Intermediate People's Court in the eastern city of Jinan. However, the report has not revealed any details about the allegations that have been bought against the once powerful leader.

Once a charismatic and populist leader, Bo was the party chief of Chongqing and one of the 25 most powerful men in China. He was a member of the powerful policy making politburo and was likely to be elevated to the all powerful Politburo Standing Committee in 2012.

Fall from Grace

However Bo's fortunes began to fail in Feb 2012 when his vice mayor of Chongqing, Wang Lijun took a 30-hour refuge in the US Consulate in Chengdu. Wang revealed details of the death of 41-year old British business consultant Neil Heywood to US officials.

Heywood was found dead a Chongqing hotel room in November 2011. His relatives were told he died of a heart attack. They consented to his cremation without autopsy.

Wang's revelations however caused international embarrassment to the Communist Party in midst of a leadership transition. In April 2012, UK demanded reinvestigation into Neil Heywood's death.

Chinese authorities then declared the death a murder and named the Bo's lawyer wife, Gu Kailai as the prime suspect. She was jailed in Aug 2012 on charges of intentional homicide and has been convicted and given a suspended death sentence.

Bo was meanwhile stripped of his party posts. He was dismissed from the party in Sept 2012 and in Oct 2012 expelled from Parliament and his immunity from prosecution removed.

In July 2013, Bo was charged with taking bribes, embezzlement and abuse of power seriously harming the interests of the state and the people.