Xu Ming's death was seen by many on social media as more than a coincidence
A wealthy Chinese businessman closely linked to the disgraced politician Bo Xilai has died in prison.
Xu Ming, 44, died of a heart attack on Friday in the central city of Wuhan, state media reported.He rose to prominence in the 1990s alongside Bo Xilai. At one time he was listed as China's eighth richest man.
But Bo's downfall in 2012 was quickly followed by Xu Ming's own imprisonment. His death comes less than a year before his scheduled release date.
Bo Xilai was sentenced to life in prison for corruption in 2013. His wife had earlier been found guilty of murdering a British businessman.
It was the biggest scandal to hit the Communist Party in years.
Bo Xilai was tipped for the very top before his dramatic downfall
Xinhua news agency said Xu Ming probably died of a "sudden heart attack".
But many social media users suggested the death appeared mysterious, particularly given that he was due to be set free next year.
"Some people feared he would expose the truth, so he died! This is proof that the same rebels and traitors still hold power," one user posted on Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter, AFP news agency reported. The comment was later censored.
Xu amassed his fortune in the city of Dalian, where Bo Xilai was mayor from 1993-2001, through his company Dalian Shide, a conglomerate with wide-ranging interests.
But he went missing in March 2012, around the same time Bo Xilai fell from grace.
Xu Ming testified in court during Bo's trial the following year. According to court transcripts, Xu said he gave Bo Xilai's wife Gu Kailai money to buy a villa in France, and paid for some of the couple's son's expenses.
She was convicted of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood and given a suspended death sentence.
Her husband had been a member of the Communist Party's hugely powerful 25-member politburo and was tipped to go even higher before his dramatic reversal of fortunes.
Xu Ming's trial was kept secret - the whole process from his arrest through to his sentencing was never made public.
