Ex-Interpol boss Meng Hongwei jailed for 13 years in China over bribes
The former security head went missing after taking a flight between France and China, leading to questions over his safety.
Tuesday 21 January 2020 10:42, UK
Meng Hongwei, the former head of Interpol, has been sentenced to 13-and-a-half-years in prison after he admitted accepting millions in bribes.
Meng Hongwei mysteriously disappeared in October 2018 while travelling between France and China, leading to Interpol making a formal request to China about his whereabouts.
There was suspicion at the time that Meng, also a former vice-minister of public security in China, had fallen out of political favour with Chinese president Xi Jingpin.
Meng's wife, who remains in France with their two children, accused China of lying about her husband's whereabouts and had to ask whether he was still alive.
The country's ruling Communist Party later said that Meng was under investigation on suspicion of breaking the law, and, in June last year, Meng admitted accepting more than $2m (£1.53m) in bribes.
According to a court notice in Tianjin, Meng accepted his sentence and would not appeal.
The court added that he had abused his positions in China, including his public security role and as maritime police chief, to gain favour with others in return for the bribes.
Meng, 66, was also fined two million yuan (£223,000) and has been expelled from the Communist Party, as well as sacked from his other jobs.
The sentence is deemed relatively light and is thought to be a result his "cooperative attitude" and "willingness to admit to and share remorse" for what he had done.
Mr Xi has long run a campaign against corruption at all levels, in an effort to silence political rivals, and it is not apparent how he crossed with Meng, whom was once an ally.
Meng's Grace, is suing Interpol, claiming the organisation failed to protect him and look after his family.
In a statement she said "[Interpol] breached its obligations owed to my family" and "is complicit in the internationally wrongful acts of its member country, China".