China court sentences ex-Interpol boss Meng to 13.5 years in prison

Bloomberg

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 on 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 September 29, 2018.