INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
An investigation into Meng Hongwei's disappearance was launched on October 5
investigation for possible criminal activity, as Beijing broke its silence about his fate.Meng Hongwei, who is also China's vice minister of
public security, "is currently under investigation on suspicion of violating the law", according to a statement on the website of the
National Supervisory Commission, which handles corruption cases involving public servants.Meng, the first Chinese president of Interpol, was
last heard from on September 25 as he left Lyon -- where the international police organisation is based -- for China.His disappearance was
disclosed by French officials on Friday but China had remained tight-lipped about his status until now.Meng had lived with his wife and two
children in France since being elected Interpol president in 2016.The agency's secretary general Juergen Stock, who oversees day-to-day
operations, said Saturday that it was seeking "clarification" on his whereabouts from Chinese authorities.It is the latest high-profile
disappearance in China, where a number of top government officials, billionaire business magnates and even an A-list celebrity have vanished
for weeks or months at a time.When -- or if -- they reappear, it is often in court.Speaking to reporters Sunday in France, Meng's wife said
she feared that her husband's life was in danger
"This matter belongs to the international community," Meng told a press conference.China's recently established National Supervisory
Commission holds sweeping powers to investigate the country's public servants with few requirements for transparency.Although the commission
did not detail the allegations against Meng, its mandate is to investigate corruption cases as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's
anti-graft campaign.Some critics of the effort -- which has punished more than one million officials -- say it also functions as a tool for
Xi to eliminate his political rivals.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is
published from a syndicated feed.)
