Wife of missing ex-Interpol chief says arrest in China politically motivated

FILE PHOTO: INTERPOL President Meng Hongwei poses during a visit to the headquarters of International Police Organisation in Lyon, France, May 8, 2018.Jeff Pachoud/Pool via Reuters

PARIS (Reuters) - The wife of the missing Chinese former head of Interpol on Thursday dismissed allegations by authorities in China accusing her husband of graft and said his arrest was politically motivated.

China will prosecute former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei for graft after an investigation found he spent "lavish" amounts of state funds, abused his power and refused to follow Communist Party decisions, Beijing's anti-corruption watchdog said in a statement on Wednesday.