Wang Lijun, the police chief in Chongqing who blew the whistle on the Bo
family’s alleged corruption and involvement in Mr Heywood’s death, also told
American diplomats that there had been a falling out over a pay-off on a £80
million deal.
The source said: “Wang said he believed Heywood was angry over not getting his
share of a deal. Apparently he wanted 10 per cent.”
It is known that Mr Heywood worked for a decade as the “fixer” for Mr Bo’s
wife, Gu Kailai, helping to transfer large sums of money overseas.
The Chinese authorities now claim that she ordered Mr Heywood’s murder.
Friends have said that on Nov 13 she summoned him to a meeting in Chongqing.
His body was found on Nov 15, with his death having occurred the day before.
Mr Heywood had been in China for two decades, working as a deal-maker between
Chinese and British firms and as a sometime consultant for Hakluyt, a
corporate intelligence firm. Speculation about his background has led to the
House of Commons foreign affairs committee formally asking William Hague,
the Foreign Secretary, if Mr Heywood was a spy for Britain.
Reports quoted Communist Party sources saying that Mr Bo, rather than his
wife, is now suspected of ordering Mr Heywood’s alleged fatal poisoning. The
Japanese newspaper, the Yomiuri Shimbun, claimed the party was close to
determining what had happened.
Mr Bo, who has been stripped of all his party positions, could face a criminal
case, party sources claimed. Other officials reportedly believe that in the
interests of party stability, Mrs Gu could face the more serious charges,
while her husband faces charges of hiding a criminal.
A family friend, meanwhile, told Reuters that although Mr Heywood sent his
children to public school, drove a Jaguar with 007 on the number plate and
lived in a £700,000 house, his widow, Wang Lulu, has been forced to borrow
from friends since his death. The friend told Reuters that Mr Heywood left
only a “five-figure sum” in his Chinese bank account and that a former
business associate had paid for his family to return to Britain for his
memorial service.
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