Ex-Interpol Chief Meng Hongwei Expelled From Party

Beijing has expelled former Interpol president Meng Hongwei from the Chinese Communist Party and has stripped him of all his positions for a "serious violation of the law and discipline".

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said Meng, 65, will be prosecuted for graft after an investigation found he had taken bribes, abused his power and had broken party rules.

"Meng Hongwei has no party principle... does not report personal matters in accordance with regulations... and refuses to implement the decision of the Party Central Committee," the commission said in a statement.

Meng, a former vice-minister for public security, was made the first Chinese head of Interpol in 2016.

He disappeared last September during a visit to the mainland from his home in France. It was later confirmed that he had been detained in China and he resigned from the international police agency by letter on October 7.

Meng's wife, Grace, had appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron for help over his disappearance.