Bo Xilai's wife admits involvement in Brit's murder

Gu Kailai, the wife of ousted Chinese leader Bo Xilai, has confessed in writing about her involvement in the murder of a British businessman, while four police officers admitted covering up the crime, state media reported on Friday.

In her "final statement" to the Intermediate People's Court in the eastern Chinese city of Hefei, Gu said she "accepted all the facts written in the indictment".

"This case has been like a huge stone weighing on me for more than half a year. What a nightmare. During those days last November, I suffered a mental breakdown after learning that my son was in jeopardy," state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Friday night quoting her "final statement".

Xilai confessed to the court that she opted to kill British businessman Neil Heywood by administering cyanide after he threatened the safety of her son Bo Guagua over a business dispute.

Bo Guagua, who is currently studying in US, earlier did his schooling in Britain.

According to the report, Gu opted to kill Heywood and she and her son Bo Guagua had conflicts with the British businessman over payment and other issues.

"Worrying about Heywood's threat to her son's personal security, Gu Kailai decided to murder Heywood," it said.

In her statement which could seal her fate, Gu said "the tragedy which was created by me was not only extended to Neil, but also to several families."

"To me, that was more than a threat. It was real action that was taking place. I must fight to my death to stop the craziness of Neil Heywood," Gu testified.

Gu testified that her son, became acquainted with Heywood in 2005 and she introduced him to serve as a proxy to a company and participate in the planning of a land project, which never got started.

In court, prosecutors presented emails exchanged between Heywood and Bo, showing how the dispute between the two had escalated.

According to the testimonies of Gu Kailai and her orderly Zhang Xiaojun they visited Heywood's hotel room on November 13, 2011 in a hotel Chongqing.

Zhang said "Gu Kailai put the bottle of cyanide compound she had prepared into Heywood's mouth. Then she scattered the capsulated drugs on the hotel floor, making it seem as though Heywood had taken the drugs," the report said.

"The case has produced great losses to the (Communist) Party and the country, for which I ought to shoulder the responsibility, and I will never feel at ease. I am grateful to the humanitarian care shown to me by those who handled the case.

"I solemnly tell the court that in order to maintain the dignity of the law, I will accept and calmly face any sentence and I also expect a fair and just court decision," she said.

Her verbatim confession was published today even as four top police officials of the Chongqing city admitted to the court that they covered up the crime to protect the Gu.

According to the evidence submitted to the court Gu along with several officials covered up Gu's presence at the scene by fabricating interview records, hiding material evidence and other measures, the Xinhua report said.