Huawei CFO counsel argued to present new evidence

A lawyer for a senior executive of Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies was in court on 15 March and new evidence must be presented for proceedings to help his client fight extradition from the US.

Canada arrested Meng Wenzhou, daughter of Huawei’s founder and the company’s chief financial officer, at the airport in Vancouver in late 2018. America wants him to face fraud charges. His arrest affected Beijing, who sees his case as a political move designed to prevent China’s rise.

The US accused Huawei of using a Hong Kong shell company called Skycom to sell equipment to Iran in violation of US sanctions. It added that Ms. Meng, 49, committed fraud by misleading HSBC Bank about the company’s business deals in Iran.

Most of the case centers around an August 2013 powerpoint presentation given to HSBC executives during a lunch in Hong Kong.

Ms. Meng’s attorney Frank Adario said the defense wanted to present an affidavit alleging that Ms. Meng’s actions put HSBC at risk because it was a loan to Huawei.

Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes said, “It is necessary to correct the record and to ensure that the commit is based on an accurate summary of the loan.”

The defense has argued that the US has misled Canada and left out important facts about the case against Ms. Meng.

Ms. Meng attended the hearing wearing a long blue dress, pink mask and a monitoring bracelet on her ankle. She paid full attention to the proceedings, sometimes reading court documents, while translating an interpreter.

Later this week, Ms. Meng’s attorneys will claim to have abused the process, saying that Canada Border Services Agency officials detained and interrogated Ms. Meng without a lawyer, confiscating her electronic devices And forced him to leave the passcode before his official arrest.

Her lawyers also say that the US is crossing the limits of its jurisdiction by prosecuting a foreign national for the action in Hong Kong and Canada was misled by the US about the strength of its case.

Ms Meng’s arrest soured relations between Canada and China. In apparent retaliation, China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrug and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spawer. China has also banned various Canadian exports, including canola oilseeds. China also sentenced four Canadians convicted of drug smuggling to death. Mr. Kovil and Mr. Spyware are jailed.

Ms. Meng remains free on bail in Vancouver and living in a mansion.