World #1 – Interpol chief Meng Hongwei vanishes on trip to China

Daily News Article   —   Posted on October 9, 2018

(by Ben Westcott, Eliott C. McLaughlin, Saskya Vandoorne, CNN) – The missing head of Interpol, who vanished after returning to his homeland, is under investigation in China, authorities in Beijing have confirmed.

In a terse one line statement Sunday evening, China’s ruling Communist Party admitted Meng Hongwei, who also holds the position of vice minister of public security in China, was “under investigation by the National Supervision Commission for alleged violations of laws.” [Since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, well over a million party officials have been disciplined in some way. Xi has implemented a sprawling campaign against graft at all levels of government, military and state industry. Officials under suspicion often disappear into the party’s investigatory body, which can hold them for months without releasing information or providing them with legal counsel.]

Chinese authorities had previously remained tight-lipped about the whereabouts of Meng, following his sudden disappearance last month after he flew from France to China.

Sunday’s statement did not specifically say that Meng had been arrested, or that he remains in China. However, previous suspects who have been described as “under investigation” by the National Supervisory Commission — the country’s top anti-corruption agency — have often reappeared in the custody of the government at a later date.

[The 64-year-old, who is also a vice-minister at China’s Ministry of Public Security, was “taken away” for questioning by discipline authorities “as soon as he landed in China” last week, a source told the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong-based newspaper known for its connections inside the Chinese government.

It is not yet clear why Meng is being investigated or exactly where he is being held. Although still listed as a vice-minister on the public security ministry’s website, Meng lost his seat on its Communist Party Committee – its real decision-making body – in April.]

In a separate development, Interpol said it had received Meng’s resignation from the international police agency with “immediate effect” according to statement posted Sunday. It made no mention of the former president’s sudden disappearance or his current whereabouts.

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The following excerpt is by Laurie Chen and Mimi Lau of Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post:

Meng was appointed head of Interpol in 2016, and was due to serve until 2020.

His appointment caused concern among academics and human rights advocates, who feared he would abuse Interpol’s powers to forcibly repatriate Chinese dissidents and fugitives. Last April, Interpol issued a red notice for Chinese fugitive tycoon Guo Wengui at Beijing’s request.

Critics said Meng’s disappearance would sound alarm bells in global organizations that work with China.

Katrin Kinzelbach, associate director of the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin, said Meng had been under close observation since joining Interpol as his appointment had caused concern among academics and human rights advocates.

“Ironically, Meng’s disappearance can be a wake-up call, making it more difficult for the PRC [China] to [obtain] leadership positions in international organizations,” she said.

Kinzelbach also urged Interpol to issue a yellow notice – a global alert used to help locate missing persons – on Meng’s behalf.

“As a matter of fact, Interpol cannot by itself investigate the whereabouts of its missing president, but it can, and in fact should, issue a yellow notice,” she said. PRC’s national authorities would then have to search for him. That is ironic, because Meng Hongwei seems to be a victim of their disciplinary procedures,” she said.

She said his disappearance was unlikely to have an impact on Interpol’s operations as his role was that of an executive. However, his appointment was an alarming sign of China’s ability to shape international organizations, including those in which its authoritarian influence was extremely dangerous, she said.

Published at South China Morning Post on Oct. 6, 2018. Additional reporting by Reuters.