China confirms it is holding the Interpol president in custody.
Beijing has confirmed that Meng Hongwei, President of Interpol and Vice Minister of Public Security of China, is being detained for investigation on suspicion of wrongdoing.
China announced late on October 7th that Meng Hongwei, the Chinese president of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), had gone missing after returning to China and was under investigation for suspected involvement in illegal activities, while Interpol stated that he had resigned.South China Morning Post.
The information emerged as Mr. Mạnh's wife expressed her concern for her husband's life after receiving his last text message from his phone, accompanied by a knife emoji.
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| Mr. Meng is the president of Interpol and also the vice minister of Public Security of China. Photo:AP. |
The wife, who lives in Lyon, France (where Interpol is headquartered), reported Mr. Manh, 64, missing more than a week ago. She said she had not heard from her husband since September 25, according to a statement from the French Interior Ministry.
While Beijing has not provided any further information about the detention, analysts say the fact that Beijing is willing to jeopardize diplomatic relations by arresting a high-ranking official in this manner shows significant risks. Meng also serves as China's vice minister of public security.
In an unusually brief announcement just before midnight on October 7, China's National Supervisory Commission said Meng was under investigation for suspected violations of state law, but did not elaborate.
Just hours later, Interpol announced that it had received Mr. Meng's resignation, effective "immediately." The press release stated that South Korean deputy director Kim Jong Yang became acting director, before Interpol officially elects a new director at its general assembly in Dubai in November.
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| Ms. Meng declined to show her face when meeting with the press in Lyon, France, on October 7th. Photo:AP. |
In Lyon, Ms. Meng spoke to reporters just before Beijing issued its statement, expressing her hope for government intervention and saying she feared her husband was in danger, according toAFP.
She said the last social media message she received from her husband was on September 25th, which read "Wait for my call," accompanied by a knife emoji.
"This is a matter for the international community," she said in English at the press conference. "I'm not sure what happened to him."
On October 6th, Interpol officially requested the Chinese government to clarify information regarding Mr. Meng's whereabouts, while French police stated they were conducting a separate investigation.
According toXinhua News AgencyMr. Meng is the first Chinese official to hold the position of Interpol president. He was appointed president of Interpol for the 2016-2020 term and is also currently serving as vice minister of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security.
In April, Meng was not elected to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the country's top governing body. According to the website of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, his most recent official appearance was on August 23 during a meeting with Li Zhonghan, a Singaporean official.