China holding Interpol head on bribery charges

Chinese officials on Monday confirmed they are holding former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei on suspicion of bribery and other charges. In a government statement posted on the website of the public security ministry, China said Meng also had connections with former security chief Zhou Yongkang, who is serving a life sentence on corruption charges. “We should oppose corruption and resolutely eliminate the pernicious influence of Zhou Yongkang,” the statement said.

Meng’s wife, Grace, said she hadn’t heard from her husband since Sept. 25, when he left France for his native China. Meng also serves as China’s vice minister for public safety. Grace Meng said he sent her an emoji of a knife on the WhatsApp messaging app, which she viewed as a sign he was in danger. “From now on, I have gone from sorrow and fear to the pursuit of truth, justice, and responsibility toward history,” she said at a press conference in Lyon, France. Interpol in a Sunday statement said Meng resigned as the agency’s president “with immediate effect.”