PARIS (REUTERS) - The wife of the missing Chinese former head of Interpol on Thursday (March 28) dismissed allegations by the 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.

"The press release openly reveals the political nature of Mr Meng's case, without addressing the issues concerning our family's fundamental human rights," Mrs Grace Meng said in a statement sent to Reuters by her lawyers.

(This story is developing)