Meng Wanzhou’s defence team to begin arguments in her formal extradition case

VANCOUVER — Lawyers for Meng Wanzhou are expected to present their defence in a Vancouver court today, explaining why the Huawei executive should not be extradited to the United States to face fraud charges.

The 2018 arrest of Meng, who is the Chinese telecom company’s chief financial officer, embroiled Canada in a bitter dispute between the United States and China.

She is accused of misrepresenting Huawei’s control over another company that did business in Iran during a presentation to HSBC, putting the international bank at risk of violating U.S. sanctions against the country.

Meng and Huawei have consistently denied the charges.

Lawyers for Canada’s attorney general, who represent the United States in the case, have argued that Meng’s misrepresentations were part of a deliberate and co-ordinated plan that prevented HSBC from making commercial decisions based on honest and accurate information.

Meng’s extradition hearing is expected to wrap up next week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2021.

The Canadian Press