Gu Kailai's fate to be decided on Monday

Regarded as the most politically significant case, after the trial of Mao Zedong's wife Jiang Qing 36 years ago which decisively changed the ideological course of Communist Party, the verdict on Gu's fate was expected to have a significant bearing on this year's Party Congress.

The one in five year's Congress for which over 2,270 delegates have already been elected would select a new leadership to replace the President Hu Jintao and others who ruled the country for 10 years.

Speculation is rife that Gu would get a death sentence along with her orderly Zhang Xiaojun as she had already confessed her role in Heywood's murder in November last year.

According to prosecutors, she poured poison into the mouth of British businessman and family friend Neil Heywood. Excerpts of her confessions released by the official media also stated that she defended her action on the ground that Heywood threatened the security of her son, Bo Guagua after fallout out over a business deal.

It is also speculated that the prospects of her death sentence commuted to life was rife as she has cooperated with the investigators and confessed her role besides defending her action to do so to protect her only son.

According to the announcement by the court in Heifei city which conducted the trial on Aug 9, the judgement would be announced on Monday morning.