Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou PHOTO/AFP
Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou PHOTO/AFP
Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou arrived at a Canadian courtroom on Monday along with her lawyers to press for more details surrounding her arrest at Vancouver's airport nearly 10 months ago.
Meng, 47, was detained on Dec. 1 at the request of the United States, where she is charged with bank fraud and accused of misleading HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA.L) about Huawei Technologies Co Ltd’s business in Iran. Meng, who is expected in court, has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition.
Meng's lawyers argue she was unlawfully detained, searched and questioned for over three hours after she landed on a flight from Hong Kong. Under the ruse of an immigration check, the defense claims, Canadian officials delayed her arrest and collected evidence for U.S. authorities.
At Monday’s hearing before Justice Heather Holmes of the British Columbia Supreme Court, Meng's defense team will request more disclosure surrounding her detention at the airport, including contacts between U.S. and Canadian authorities.
The arrest has strained China’s relations with both the United States and Canada.
Extradition proceedings against Meng should be halted if officials abused the process, the lawyers say. Besides accusations of misconduct related to her detention, they argue the United States is using Meng for economic and political gain, noting that after her arrest, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would intervene if it would help close a trade deal.
Source(s): Reuters