Meng loses publication ban request on HSBC materials obtained via Hong Kong court

VANCOUVER — The Supreme Court of British Columbia has dismissed an application for a publication ban from Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou on new evidence that her legal team wants to introduce in her fight against extradition to the United States. 

Legal counsel for a media consortium including The Canadian Press that opposed the ban advises that the application has been dismissed, but the reasons for the decision have not been provided to CP or reviewed by it and they have not been publicly released.

Meng’s lawyers obtained the new material from HSBC through an agreement in a Hong Kong court that they have said includes a stipulation that they protect confidential information. 

Lawyers for Canada’s attorney general opposed the application, arguing it goes too far by seeking a ban on all of the documents when redacting private information would do.

Meng is wanted by the United States on bank fraud charges that both she and Huawei deny.

She is accused of lying to HSBC about Huawei’s control over another company, putting the bank at risk of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran.

Meng has been living in one of her Vancouver homes on bail since her arrest at the city’s airport in December 2018.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2021. 

The Canadian Press