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WORLD NEWS Friday 9 November 2018
Interpol: Rules forbid probe of ex-president's fate in China

LYON, France (AP) — In- asking for clarification, ac-
terpol's secretary general cording to Stock. A high-
said Thursday that the inter- level Chinese delegation
national police organiza- arrived at Interpol's Lyon
tion's rules forbid him from headquarters on Oct. 7, re-
probing into the fate of the ported that Meng had writ-
Chinese government offi- ten a resignation letter and
cial who served as Interpol advised that he was no lon-
president for almost two ger a delegate from China
years before he vanished to Interpol — meaning he
during a trip to China. could no longer serve as
In his first public remarks president.
about the disappearance China's Interpol office trans-
of Meng Hongwei, Interpol mitted the resignation letter
Secretary General Juer- to Interpol headquarters
gen Stock said he "encour- later that day. Pressed on
aged" Chinese authori- whether Interpol had assur-
ties to provide information ances Meng actually wrote
about Meng's location and it or did so without duress,
legal status but can do no Stock hedged.
more. "There was no reason for
Meng became Interpol's me to (suspect) that any-
president in November Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock poses a the international police agency in Lyon, central thing was forced or wrong,"
2016. A new president will France, Thursday, Nov.8, 2018 he said.
be elected to replace him Associated Press Interpol appeared to ac-
during the organization's cept the Chinese delega-
general assembly in Dubai as a victim of political per- in a sweeping purge under out after Meng's wife said tion's explanation at face
on Nov. 18-21. secution. He was China's President Xi Jinping. she had not heard from value and publicly an-
Chinese authorities said vice minister of public secu- Stock said his organization him since the end of Sep- nounced that night that
they detained Meng, 64, rity and appears to be the learned of Meng's disap- tember and reported him Meng had stepped down,
on bribery charges, though latest ranking Chinese offi- pearance on Oct. 5 via missing. without commenting on
his wife has described him cial to have been caught media reports that came Interpol contacted Beijing, why or what happened.q