In an unusual twist of fate, the former head of Interpol has pleaded guilty to corruption after being “disappeared” by China last year.

During his trial, Meng Hongwei read a statement to the No. 1 Intermediate Court in Tianjin, confessing to having accepted money, properties, and gifts worth 14.46 million yuan ($2.1 million), a fairly pedestrian amount when it comes to cases involving Chinese officials’ graft.

Meng is said to have received these bribes between 2005 and 2017 while he held various positions of power including serving as a vice minister of public security, director of the Maritime Police Bureau, and deputy director of the State Oceanic Administration.

In 2016, Meng was also elected as the president of Interpol. He began splitting his time between his home country and the French city of Lyon where the international policing organization is located.

Last year, his wife, Grace Meng,told French policethat her husband had gone missing during a trip to China. At a later press conference, she said that the last text message she had received from him was the image of a knife. Soon, China announced that Meng wasunder investigationby the party’s anti-corruption watchdog and Interpolreceived a letter of resignationin his name.

In March, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspectionaccused Mengof abusing his power to finance his family’s “extravagant lifestyle,” asserting that Meng had received huge bribes and used his influence to secure jobs for his wife allowing her to take advantage of these posts for private benefits.

Last month, he wasformally indicted.

At the carefully-choreographed trial, prosecutors presented evidence of Meng’s alleged crimes before a gray-haired Meng confessed and expressed his remorse. Chinese state media reports that the trial was open to the public and attended by “legislators, political advisors, press and members of the public.”

Meng’s sentencing will be announced at a later date. His wife and children have been granted asylum in France.