PARIS, Oct. 5 (Reuters) – French police are investigating the disappearance of Interpol leader Meng Hongwei, who has been missing after his trip from France to his native China, and has placed his wife under protection after threats. announced the Ministry of the Interior on its territory. Friday.
Meng's wife contacted the police in Lyon, the French city where the international police agency is based, after not hearing her since September 25 and after receiving threats over the phone and through social media, the ministry said.
A person familiar with the disappearance investigation stated that Western investigators assumed that Meng had upset the Chinese authorities in one way or another and had been arrested.
"France is puzzled by the situation of the President of Interpol and concerned about the threats made to his wife," the ministry said.
Meng's wife, who remained in Lyon with their children according to police sources, was receiving protection, he said, adding, "Exchanges with the Chinese authorities are continuing."
There have been several cases in recent years of top Chinese officials who have gone missing without explanation, the mere fact that the government announces weeks or even months later that they have been the subject of An investigation, often for alleged corruption.
The reason why Meng, 64, who was named president of Interpol two years ago, went to China was unclear.
Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, citing an unnamed source, was quoted as saying that Meng had been taken away for questioning as soon as he had landed there, but no one knew why.
French police are investigating what is officially called "worrying disappearance" in France.
Interpol, which includes 192 countries and usually seeks out missing or wanted persons, said it was aware of reports of Meng's "presumed disappearance".
"This is an issue that concerns competent authorities in France and China," said the agency in a statement.
The presidents of Interpol are seconded by their national administrations and remain at their original post while representing the international police body.
Meng appears on the website of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security as deputy minister, but lost his seat on his Communist Party committee in April, the South China Morning Post reported.
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Reuters could not immediately reach the Chinese Ministry of Public Security for comments.
Meng has nearly 40 years of experience in the field of criminal justice and law enforcement and has overseen issues relating to legal institutions, drug control and the fight against terrorism, according to the Interpol website.
Interpol staff may be in possession of a special passport to expedite deployment in emergency situations, but this would have conferred on Meng no specific rights or immunities in his country. d & # 39; origin.
When Meng was named Interpol's president in November 2016, human rights groups expressed concern that Beijing would seek to take advantage of its position to pursue dissidents abroad . In the past, Beijing has pressured countries to arrest and deport to China citizens accused of crimes ranging from corruption to terrorism.
At the time, Amnesty International had called the appointment of Meng "incoherent with Interpol's mandate to work in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights" .
Diplomats say that the role of Interpol's president is essentially ceremonial and that his secretary general, Juergen Stock, performs the daily tasks. (Report by Catherine Lagrange in Lyon, Richard Lough, Simon Carraud and Sarah White in Paris, Mark Hosenball in London and Yawen Chen in Beijing Editing by Richard Balmforth)
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