BEIJING - The two lawyers defending Bo Xilai were hired by Bo himself, said a spokesman for the court handling Bo's case on Saturday.

The two lawyers are Li Guifang and Wang Zhaofeng from the Beijing-based Deheng Law Offices, said Liu Yanjie, of the Jinan Intermediate People's Court in East China's Shandong province at a press briefing at noon on Saturday, the third day of Bo's trial for bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.

Liu said that, as far as the court knows, Bo's relatives entrusted several different lawyers during the investigation stage of the case. Ultimately, Li and Wang were hired upon Bo's choice and confirmation.

During the stages of review, prosecution and court trial, Bo directly hired Li and Wang to defend him, according to Liu.