Bo Xilai, death shrouded in mystery

              Bo Xilai, former party chief of the Communist Chongqing branch, in March.

The British businessman whose murder in China has been shrouded in mystery may have been poisoned for threatening to reveal the allegedly corrupt plans of a Chinese politician’s wife, according to a report.

Neil Heywood was killed after losing the trust of Gu Kailai, the wife of Bo Xilai, former party chief of the Communist Chongqing branch, sources told Reuters.

The report is the first to reveal a possible motive for Heywood's murder.

Gu, who had grown close to Heywood, asked him to transfer a large amount of money overseas late last year, the sources told Reuters.

When Heywood, who is thought to have been a middleman for the family's financial dealings, demanded a larger cut of the money than she had expected, Gu became furious.

"Heywood told her that if she thought he was being too greedy, then he didn't need to become involved and wouldn't take a penny of the money, but he also said he could expose it,” a source told Reuters.

"After Gu Kailai found that Heywood would not agree to go along and was even resisting with threats, then that was a major risk to Gu Kailai and Bo Xilai."

While the sources didn't know details of the transactions Gu had allegedly discussed with Heywood, they say the deal would have been incriminating to both her and her husband, who has since been removed from his position over the scandal.

The allegations crushed his prospects of a leading position in the regime, while Gu has been taken into police custody. She is being held on suspicion of committing or arranging Heywood's murder, and faces a possible death sentence, Reuters reports.

Both sources cited by Reuters have knowledge of the case and have spoken with authorities in Chongqing, where Heywood, whose death has been characterized as an "intentional homicide," was slain.

They say he was likely poisoned through a drink, and died at the secluded Nanshan Lijin Holiday Hotel.

Reports suggest Heywood sensed his imminent death when he arrived at the hotel, where he had been summoned for a meeting with representatives of Bo and Gu's family.

He contacted a friend to say he was "in trouble," and to alert him that he had left documents pertaining to the allegedly illegal transactions with a lawyer in Britain, according to The Wall Street Journal.

It's not clear if authorities have obtained the documents, or if they even exist.

Heywood's death was originally attributed to excessive alcohol consumption, and he was cremated before an autopsy was performed, according to British officials.

The Wall Street Journal reported that his family was told he died of a heart attack.