China gov't expert questions Brit's cause of death

BEIJING (AP) - A prominent Chinese government forensic scientist has questioned the cause of death of a murdered British businessman, casting doubt on the official version of a scandal that reached into the upper levels of the Communist Party.

In a post to her blog that has since been removed, Ms Wang Xuemei, a forensic expert with the top prosecutors' agency, said the official accounts lack sufficient evidence that Neil Heywood died from cyanide poisoning, which she describes as leaving the body obviously discoloured.

Heywood's murder in November is a central element of the scandal which led to senior Chinese politician Bo Xilai's ouster from the leadership. Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, was given a suspended death sentence last month after confessing to murdering Heywood over a business dispute by pouring cyanide into his mouth.

Ms Wang confirmed in a phone interview on Thursday that she is the author of the blog entry posted on late Wednesday detailing her suspicions. She said she has had no access to the evidence but points out discrepancies in details that have been made public.