China to prosecute former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei

Meng Hongwei, the former Chinese head of Interpol, will be prosecuted in his home country for allegedly taking bribes, China's Communist Party says.

He has also been expelled from the party and stripped of all government positions, according to the party's watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

In a short statement, the party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said Meng Hongwei had “refused to enact decisions of the party centre” and abused his power for private gain.

He also “wantonly and lavishly spent state funds to satisfy his family’s luxurious lifestyle”, it said.

Meng used his position to help his wife get a job and illegally took a “huge amount of possessions” from other people in exchange for help with promotions and job moves and “company operations”, the statement said, without giving details.

He is suspected of taking bribes and causing serious harm to the party’s image and state’s interests and should be severely dealt with, it added.

Last year, Interpol, the global police coordination organization based in France, said Meng had resigned as its president after French authorities said he had been reported missing by his wife after travelling to his home country.

His wife, Grace Meng, told French television on Sunday that she had written to seek the help of French President Emmanuel Macron on the eve of a visit by his counterpart Xi Jinping, who has now returned to Beijing.

Meng's disappearance in September prompted international concern.

In October, Chinese authorities said Meng was being investigated over suspected bribe-taking.