The trial of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai -- set to be China's highest-profile political prosecution in decades -- will be held in August, a source with direct knowledge of the case said today.
"I think it will be in the middle or the end of August," the source, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP, when asked when the trial would take place. He is likely to face charges of bribery and abuse of power.
Bo, the former party boss of southwestern megacity Chongqing, was ousted from the ruling Communist party last year, after the government accused him of accepting "massive" bribes, and bending the law, following his wife's conviction for the murder of a British businessman.
His downfall exposed the Communist party to allegations of corruption at its most senior levels, adding to divisions ahead of a once in a decade leadership transition which saw Xi Jinping installed as party chief in November.
News of the trial comes at a time when the Communist Party is attempting to show it is cracking down on corruption and government waste.
Bo's trial will take place in Jinan, the capital of eastern China's Shandong province, the South China Morning Post Newspaper reported today, citing official sources in Chongqing.
Officials in the city met "to detail formal charges" against Bo ahead of the trial, the newspaper reported.
No reports that Bo has been served with an official criminal charge have surfaced in China's state-run media. It remains possible that such charges have been served in secret. According to Chinese law, criminal charges must be served at least 10 days before a trial begins.
China's official media earlier reported that Bo's case had been passed over to legal authorities, following an internal party investigation which resulted in his expulsion.
Bo, the son of one of China's most famous revolutionary leaders, is still thought to have high-level allies within the party -- and his trial is likely to be short and tightly staged-managed, with the result decided in advance as a result of behind the scenes political bargaining.
Once among the party's top 25 ranked officials, Bo was once seen as a candidate for promotion to its very top echelon -- the Politburo Standing Committee. But he was detained after his police chief Wang Lijun sought refuge in a US consulate following a dispute with Bo early in 2012.
