Grace Meng’s last message from her husband was a knife emoji. Photo: AFP
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https://scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3007494/former-interpol-president-meng-hongwei-arrested-china-over Politics
Former Chinese Interpol president Meng Hongwei facing prosecution on bribery charge
- Meng disappeared after returning to China from France last year and later sent his wife a message suggesting he was in some kind of danger
- Announcement of formal arrest suggests that prosecution is imminent
Meng Hongwei disappeared on a visit to China last year. Photo: AP
The disappeared former president of Interpol Meng Hongwei has been formally arrested in China on suspicion of accepting bribes, prosecutors announced on Wednesday.
Meng was last seen on September 25 after leaving his home in the French city of Lyon for China. He sent his wife, Grace Meng, a message on social media telling her to “wait for my call”, along with a knife emoji suggesting he was in some kind of danger.
She reported her husband missing to the French authorities on October 4 and was later put under police protection after receiving threatening messages over the telephone and online. Earlier this year she applied for asylum in France.
Meng was expelled from the Communist Party of China and stripped of all his positions for “serious violation of the law and discipline” on March 27.
He was accused of abusing his position and power for personal gain, squandering state funds to finance his family’s extravagant lifestyle, and disregarding the principles of being a party member.
In a rare gesture, the party commission also accused Meng of encouraging his wife to use his status to further her own interests.
The announcement that a suspect has been formally arrested usually means that the watchdog’s investigation has been completed and the case will be passed to prosecutors for review and that a prosecution is imminent.
Once a rising political star, Meng made his way up the ranks of China’s public security apparatus to become head of the Chinese branch of Interpol in 2004.
French President Emmanuel Macron was asked to raise the case during Xi Jinping’s visit last month. Photo: AFP
In 2016 he became the first Chinese president of the global policing organisation.
Grace Meng, who has not spoken to her husband since he went missing, asked French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the matter with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his European tour last month, according to Agence-France Press.
In a letter to the Elysee Palace dated March 21, she asked to know “where and how he is”, the report said.
Despite her request, there have been no reports that Xi and Macron discussed the matter.