Meng was last seen leaving for China from Interpol's headquarters in Lyon, southeast France, in late September, the source said. French police are investigating the apparent disappearance of the head of Interpol, Meng Hongwei. No one seems to know where Mr. Meng is or why he suddenly disappeared, even though he leads an organization that serves as a kind of United Nations for the worldâs police forces. Chinaâs president, Mr. Xi, gave the opening speech, praising the organization and declaring that âChina is willing to share its experience in security governance with every country in the world,â Chinaâs official news agency, Xinhua reported. But official Chinese news media have not leveled any accusations against Mr. Meng, and as recently as August, he continued to receive official visitors in Beijing. âThis is a matter for the relevant authorities in both France and China,â the statement said. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port, A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador, A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk, The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron, Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus, A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Lu Kang, said at the time that Mr. Mengâs elevation had âreceived a positive response from the broad numbers of member countriesâ of Interpol. By AFP Friday 5 Oct 2018, 7:49 PM. Tuesday 16 October 2018. He arrived in China in late September, according to an Interpol official. French police are investigating the apparent disappearance of the head of Interpol, Meng Hongwei. In a statement, Interpol, the main organization for global police cooperation, said that it was âaware of media reports in connection with the alleged disappearanceâ of Mr. Meng. The Chinese head of Interpol has gone missing Meng Hongwei is reportedly being detained for questioning in his home country. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st, The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. Prosecutor’s office says he abused position to ‘illegally accept cash and property in return for performing favours’, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Mr Meng’s wife has accused Chinese authorities of lying and questioned whether her husband was still alive. China is in the middle of a weeklong National Day vacation, and calls to the ministryâs media office on Friday evening were not answered. He … As president, Mr. Meng presides at meetings and conferences, and sometimes represented the organization during trips abroad. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Earlier, the ruling Communist Party’s disciplinary committee said an investigation found that Mr Meng abused his power in order to satisfy his family’s “extravagant lifestyle”. He … Meng, 64, was named president of Interpol in November 2016, and his term is slated to end in 2020. Mr Meng was last seen leaving from Interpol's headquarters in Lyon, southeast France. He also served as vice-minister of Public Security in China from 2004 to 2018. China has accused the missing ex-Interpol president Meng Hongwei of bribery, as the case continues to tarnish Beijing’s image as a rising power and responsible member of … Mr Meng was last seen leaving from Interpol’s headquarters in Lyon, southeast France. âInternationally, he is president of Interpol, but in the eyes of the Chinese authorities he is first of all Chinese, and they wouldnât think too much about his international prominence,â Mr. Deng added. In 2013, Li Dongsheng, another vice minister of public security, was investigated for corruption and he was later sentenced to 15 years in prison for taking bribes. French police have launched an investigation into the disappearance of Interpol ‘s president. Before being elected head of Interpol in November 2016, Meng was vice minister of public security in China. Chinese prosecutors indicted former Interpol president Meng Hongwei on Friday on charges of accepting bribes, the latest development in a case that began with his disappearance while on a journey to Beijing. Since Xi Jinping became head of the Chinese Communist Party in 2012, he has taken the drive against graft high into the political elite. Interpol, an organization that is supposed to be capable of locating anyone anywhere in the world, is missing its own director. Almost 10 days after he went missing, the Chinese government confirmed his detention. French police said Friday they were probing the disappearance of the Chinese head of Interpol, who has reportedly been detained for questioning in his home country. There are suspicions he had fallen out of political favour with Chinese president Xi Jinping, who has carried out a wide-ranging crackdown on corruption and perceived disloyalty that observers say is calculated to strengthen party control while bringing down potential challengers to his authority. [Chinese official named head of Interpol, drawing criticism] “The amounts were especially huge,” the statement said. Photo: Roslan Rahman/AFP. âThis is the new normal.â. His wife reported him missing after a trip to China in late September. Grace Meng has remained in France with their two sons since her husband’s detention. If so, his sudden and mysterious disappearance threatens to cloud Chinaâs image, demonstrating that even the most prominent official of an international police organization is vulnerable. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. When requested by a member country, we can publish a Red Notice to alert police worldwide to a wanted fugitive. He is a former governor of Xinjiang region in northwest China and most recently was director of the National Energy Administration. The earliest attempt at a formal, permanent framework for international police coordination was the Police Union of German States, formed in 1851 to bring together police from various German-speaking states. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month, Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. The head of Interpol, who vanished after taking a flight to Beijing, is being held and investigated for corruption, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security said in a statement Monday. The Head of Interpol Has Gone Missing and No One Knows Why . In April, it was announced that … Mr. Meng has remained a vice minister of Chinaâs Ministry of Public Security while he serves as president of Interpol, and a page describing his background and activities remained on the ministryâs website on Friday. The detained chinese head of interpol, meng hongwei, is being investigated for alleged bribe taking, chinese authorities have announced. Unlike Interpolâs secretary general, Jürgen Stock, who directly oversees the groupâs daily work of police cooperation and carries out any decisions it makes, Mr. Meng had a less hands-on and more ceremonial role. The president of international police agency Interpol, Meng Hongwei, was reported missing by his wife to authorities in Lyon, France, where Interpol is headquartered. If Mr. Meng has been detained, his case may signal that the tactic is continuing. Head of Interpol Disappears, and Eyes Turn Toward China Meng Hongwei was elected president of Interpol in 2016. T he president of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has been reported missing after a trip to China, officials say. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. His wife reported him missing after a trip to China in late September. His appointment, though celebrated in China, had also ignited controversy, with critics arguing that it would help China issue international arrest warrants to target political enemies. Until the 19th century, cooperation among police in different national and political jurisdictions was organized largely on an ad hoc basis, focused on a specific goal or criminal enterprise. In April, the ministry disclosed that Mr. Meng was no longer a member of the Communist Party committee that oversees the ministry, a step that sparked speculation on overseas Chinese websites that he could be in trouble. D. Kanyakumari. The missing Interpol chief, Meng Hongwei, who it was revealed on Sunday has been detained in China for 12 days unknown to his family or employer, has … He arrived in China in late September, according to an Interpol official. He was formally arrested last month after being expelled from public office and the party. His wife, who is living in France, where Interpol has its headquarters, reported him missing on Thursday evening after she did not hear from him upon his arrival in China. Major General Alexander … After news of Mr. Mengâs disappearance spread, The South China Morning Post, an English-language newspaper published in Hong Kong, cited an unnamed source in reporting that he had been taken away after arriving in China and was under investigation. Here we can publish a Yellow Notice for a missing person. After Mr. Meng was elected by Interpolâs general assembly in 2016, he was celebrated by Chinaâs state-run news media as confirming that the country was winning international recognition and respect under President Xi Jinping. A similar plan was launched by Ital… image caption Meng Hongwei was elected Interpol's head two years ago France has opened an investigation into the disappearance of Meng Hongwei, the Chinese head of … The tiger hunt is, however, definitely still ongoing.â. He also ran the Chinese Interpol office. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo, A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota, Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Ms. Its activities were centered mostly on political dissidents and criminals. Two days before it became known that Mr. Meng had apparently disappeared, Chinese state media reported that Fan Bingbing, a Chinese actress who had disappeared for four months, had been cooperating with the tax authorities, who fined her nearly $70 million in unpaid taxes and penalties. In France, investigators learned of Mr. Mengâs disappearance when his wife went to the police in Lyon on Thursday evening and explained that she not heard from her husband since his arrival in China, according to an official close to the investigation, who insisted on anonymity and was not authorized to comment publicly.