Interpol has elected South Korean Kim Jong-yang as president, rejecting controversial Russian frontrunner Alexander Prokopchuk, who has been accused of abusing the policing body’s international arrest warrant system.
Kim was elected by 194 members of the organisation, known as the “world’s largest policing organisation”, at its 87th annual general assembly in Dubai.
He has been serving as acting head since October, when ex-president Meng Hongwei resigned after being detained and investigated by Chinese officials over corruption allegations.
Kim will serve until 2020 - the end of the current mandate.
Prokopchuk, 57, serves as a general in the Russian Interior Ministry and a vice president at Interpol representing Europe, but news that he was tipped to become its chief drew international concern, including from UK and US politicians.
Home affairs select committee chair Yvette Cooper yesterday signed a joint letter with Tom Tugendhat, foreign affairs select committee chair, accusing Prokopchuk of abusing the Red Notice arrest warrant system to political ends.
He has been blamed for the controversial arrests and harassment of British hedge fund manager Bill Browder, among other Kremlin critics, while head of Russia’s National Central Bureau – an office held by every Interpol member state.
Kim’s win means he secured at least two-thirds of votes cast at Interpol’s general assembly in Dubai on Wednesday.