China's former Interpol chief pleads guilty to accepting bribes

Meng Hongwei, China's former vice minister of public security, pleaded guilty to charges of taking over 14.46 million yuan in bribes during a trial at the First Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin on Thursday.

Meng Hongwei, former vice minister of public security in China and former head of Interpol. [File Photo: IC]

Meng, who is also the former president of Interpol, is accused of accepting large bribes and of securing benefits in exchange for job promotions and preferential treatment when he was the vice minister of public security and the head of the China Coast Guard.

The court will deliver its judgement on Meng's case at a later date.

The 65-year-old was the first president of the Lyon-based international crime fighting agency Interpol to come from China. He was elected to the post in 2016.