China Sentences Ex-Interpol Chief Meng to 13.5 Years in Prison

(Bloomberg) -- Sign up for Next China, a weekly email on where the nation stands now and where it's going next.A Chinese court sentenced former Interpol President Meng Hongwei to 13.5 years in prison, more than a year after he went missing during a visit to his home country.Meng previously pleaded guilty to charges that he accepted bribes of 14.5 million yuan ($2.1 million) between 2005 and 2017. China had earlier removed him from his government post as vice public security minister over violations that included taking bribes and abusing power, and expelled him from the Communist Party.Meng won’t appeal the verdict, a Tianjin municipal court said Tuesday in a social media post announcing the sentence.The disappearance and secretive investigation into the international law enforcement agency’s first Chinese president has shined a light on China’s opaque legal system and raised questions about its respect for international norms. Details about investigation into Meng’s finances have trickled out in Chinese state media since his disappearance in September 2018.Meng used his position to seek employment for his wife, Grace, and connived to use his authority for personal gain, China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in December 2018.Grace Meng said her husband worked at Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France, and was reported missing on Sept. 29, 2018. The Ministry of Public Security in Beijing said in October that he was being investigated on allegations including the acceptance of bribes and violation of other Chinese laws.Reuters reported in January that Grace Meng had applied for asylum in France because she feared for her life after being followed by strangers, receiving suspicious phone calls and having her car license plates photographed by mysterious people.\--With assistance from Lulu Shen.To contact the reporter on this story: Brendan Scott in Singapore at bscott66@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Derek WallbankFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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