Meng Hongwei, the former Interpol chief who went missing during a trip to China in September, has been placed under investigation for accepting bribes.
In a statement issued on Monday, China’s public security ministry confirmed that Meng “is suspected of violating the law” and will be investigated along with others who are accused of taking bribes.
Advertisement
According to South China Morning Post, the decision to investigate Meng was unanimously approved in a midnight Communist Party committee chaired by Public Security Minister Zhao Kezhi. The committee also pledged “absolute political loyalty” to President Xi Jinping and the party leadership.
Without revealing details of the charges against Meng, the Chinese ministry said that his actions “gravely jeopardised” the party and the police.
In China, absolute loyalty to the Communist Party takes precedence over everything else, including foreign relations. Anyone who goes against the party line or the law can be detained for an unspecified time and in secret locations.
A recent case of high-profile secret detention was that of A-list actress Fan Bingbing, who was charged with tax fraud and released only after months of interrogation.
Citing analysts, SCMP reports that Meng’s disappearance and detention will take a toll on China’s efforts in becoming a leader on the global stage. Some, however, stated that Beijing was fully aware of the risk of damage to its image through the action.
On 5 October the French police launched a hunt for Meng Hongwei after he went missing from Lyon on 29 September.
The 64-year-old was last seen leaving Interpol’s headquarters in Lyon bound for China.
Concern about Meng rose after his wife, who lives in Lyon, told authorities that her husband had not contacted since the day he reached China.
Announcing his disappearance on 5 October, authorities stated that the top Chinese official did not disappear in France.
On 6 October, Interpol demanded an official “clarification” from China on the whereabouts of its missing police chief, after reports said he was detained for questioning on arrival in his homeland.
Read More: Interpol wants China to issue ‘official clarification’ on missing chief Meng Hongwei
“Interpol has requested through official law enforcement channels clarification from China’s authorities on the status of Interpol President Meng Hongwei,” Jurgen Stock, the secretary-general of the international police body said in a statement.
“Interpol’s General Secretariat looks forward to an official response from China’s authorities to address concerns over the President’s well-being.”
At the time of his disappearance, Meng was listed as the vice-minister of China’s Ministry of Public Security. In April, however, he lost his post in the all-powerful Communist Party Committee for reasons not known.
Meng was appointed the chief of Interpol in 2016 – a position he was to serve till 2020.
Late on Sunday, Interpol announced that it had received the Meng’s resignation, its first Chinese president.
“Today, Sunday 7 October, the Interpol general secretariat in Lyon, France, received the resignation of Mr Meng Hongwei as President of Interpol with immediate effect,” read the statement issued by Interpol.
The international police organisation said that South Korea’s Kim Jong Yang had been made the acting president. A new president will be elected at the 87th General Assembly Session in UAE, which will be held from 18-21 November.
