The former Chinese head of Interpol, who is facing a corruption case in his home country, has been expelled from China’s top political advisory board, state media said yesterday.
The National Committee for the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) agreed to revoke Meng Hongwei’s (孟宏偉) membership following a meeting, Xinhua news agency reported.
The CPPCC is a 2,000-strong assembly of delegates whose role is to “advise” the government by putting forth policy suggestions.
Though powerless, it includes celebrities such as film star Jackie Chan (成龍), basketball giant Yao Ming (姚明) and some of China’s richest corporate chiefs.
Meng, also a vice public security minister, disappeared in September while on a visit to China from France, where Interpol is based.
Authorities later revealed he was facing a graft investigation and Meng resigned as head of the international police organization.
The committee also accepted the resignation of the former head of China’s Buddhist association, Shi Xuecheng (釋學誠), who is under criminal investigation for sexual assault and financial crime.
He has also been removed as deputy head of the ethnic and religious committee of the CPPCC.
A report by fellow monks earlier this year accused the abbot of sexual and financial improprieties, including coercing several nuns to have sex with him.
Investigators had also uncovered evidence that his monastery had broken national financial rules.
Before his fall from grace, Shi was a prominent personality in Chinese Buddhist life, with a social media following of millions.
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