(JINAN INTERMEDIATE PEOPLE'S COURT)

Bo Xilai, former Communist Party of China (CPC) chief of Chongqing Municipal Committee, stands trial on August 22 in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province. He faces charges of accepting bribes, embezzlement of funds and abuse of power.

According to the indictment, Bo allegedly accepted bribes amounting to an estimated 21.8 million yuan ($3.56 million) from two businessmen from 1999 to 2012, one seeking assistance in obtaining the necessary preferential quotas to import cars, and the other seeking the paperwork required to begin work on petrochemical projects.

Bo is also alleged to have used his post as governor of northeast China's Liaoning Province in 2002 to conspire with others to embezzle 5 million yuan ($816,000) of public funds from the city government of Dalian in the province.

In January and February of 2012, while serving as secretary of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee, Bo abused his power when it was reported that his wife, Bogu Kailai, was suspected of intentional homicide, and when then Vice Mayor of Chongqing Wang Lijun defected, the indictment said.

Further abuses of power include impeding the reinvestigation of Bogu Kailai's case and approving the release of false news that Wang was receiving "vacation-style treatment."

Bo made a statement denying the charges of bribery.

The hearing resumed on August 23.

Bo, 64, was removed from his post as Chongqing's Party chief in March 2012 and was expelled from both the CPC and public office that September.