China sentences ex-Interpol chief to 13.5 years of jail
Meng Hongwei, the first Chinese person to head Interpol, was on Tuesday sentenced to thirteen and a half years of jail in a corruption case. In a trial at Tianjin No. 1 Intermediate People's Court, Meng was also ordered to pay 2 million yuan (about US$290,000) as a fine. Once an influential personality in China, Meng said he won't challenge the verdict.
The chief of Interpol went 'missing', later quit his job
In 2018, Meng made it to international headlines after he went missing en route China. He had started a trip from France, where Interpol is based. His wife Grace Meng approached cops, and later received a mysterious message containing just a knife emoji, NPR reported. As the international police body sought answers, it was informed that Meng left his job without completing the four-year-term.
China revealed Meng was detained and is being probed
Days after Meng mysteriously went missing, China confirmed he has been detained and is being investigated for bribery. The Communist Party, of which Meng was a member, alleged he exploited his position. He was accused of misusing state funds for financing his family's "extravagant lifestyle". When he held important positions, Meng received more than $2 million in bribes, the country said.
In June, Meng accepted he took bribe, his wife fumed
China punished Meng by stripping him of all government positions, a statement from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said. In June last year, he pleaded guilty and accepted taking a bribe. However, Grace claimed Interpol was working in collusion with Chinese authorities. She even dragged the police agency to courts for failing to protect and assist her family.
Interpol helped China in its acts, claimed Grace
"It (Interpol) is complicit in the internationally wrongful acts of its member country, China. Despite Interpol's threat for speaking out, I am announcing ... that I have launched legal proceedings against Interpol at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague," Grace's press statement read.
Interpol called Grace's fears "complete mischaracterization"
When asked to comment on Grace's allegations that she was threatened, Interpol reportedly said it was "complete mischaracterization". "We are unable to address the specifics of the claim, except to say that we dispute the allegations as baseless," the body said. Later, Grace and her two children were given political asylum in France after she raised fears that they might get kidnapped.
In high-profile case, former Interpol chief sent to prison
Meng's arrest and the trial that followed was one of the most high-profile cases to hit China. Today, while sentencing him to prison, the court said, "The court has made the judgment after taking into consideration that Meng Hongwei has proactively turned in most information about the charges that the authorities were not able to obtain and that he has admitted to the charges."
