"The court has resumed its investigation of the facts of defendant Bo Xilai´s bribery as outlined by the prosecution," the court in Jinan in eastern China said on its verified account on Sina Weibo, a Chinese equivalent of Twitter.[break]
Bo, once one of China´s highest-flying politicians, faces charges of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power which emerged after a lurid scandal which saw his wife convicted of murdering a British businessman.
Bo presented an unexpectedly spirited defence against bribery charges as the trial began on Thursday, comparing one witness, businessman Tang Xiaolin, to a "mad dog" who appeared to have "sold his soul".
State broadcaster CCTV on Friday released video of one of the trial´s most dramatic moments, when Bo cross-examined witness Xu Ming, who prosecutors said had bribed him to the tune of 20.7 million yuan ($3.4 million).
But in a colourful exchange -- which touched on a football club, a hot air balloon and the purchase of a French villa -- Bo argued that Xu had not made him aware of the transactions.
Bo´s populist politics won supporters across China but alienated top party leadership who saw his brash approach as a return to a bygone era of strongman rule.
Backroom political discussions ahead of the trial have ensured that a guilty verdict from the court is almost certain, with a lengthy prison sentence likely to follow, analysts say.
Police -- uniformed and plain clothed -- blocked off roads around the court again on Friday morning, with the only journalists able to gain entry to the proceedings from state-run media.
A convoy thought to be carrying Bo, which included a silver Mercedes prison van, pulled into the main entrance shortly before the court said at 8:40am the trial had restarted.
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