Huawei CFO’s attorneys question agent who detained her

Toronto, Canada, Oct 27 (efe-epa).- The lawyers of Huawei’s financial director questioned Tuesday in a Canadian court the police officer who in 2018 detained the senior executive in the Vancouver airport concerning the delay in proceedings with her arrest after arriving in the country.

Meng Wanzhou was questioned for three hours by agents of the Canadian Border Services Agency after her arrival in Canada from Hong Kong without being informed that the United States had requested her extradition and that she would be arrested.

Mounted Police officer Winston Yep, who carried out Meng’s arrest on Dec. 1 2018, testified Tuesday in the Supreme Court of the province of British Columbia (Canada), who witnessed the entire interrogation of Huawei’s chief financial officer through a one-way mirror.

Asked by Richard Peck, one of Meng’s attorneys, Yep claimed that he did not arrest her earlier out of respect for the process initiated by border agents.

But Peck suggested that the RCMP did not arrest Meng as soon as she left the plane to avoid being informed of her arrest and of her rights.

While in the custody of border agents, Meng handed over her electronic devices as well as the passwords to access its content.

Border services shared that information with the Mounted Police, which later transmitted it to the US FBI.

The United States asked Canada for the arrest and extradition of Meng, accusing the executive and Huawei of bank fraud to avoid the sanctions that Washington has imposed against Iran.

Meng’s defense, who has been on probation since late 2018 and lives with her family in one of the two houses she owns in Vancouver, believes Canadian authorities abused their powers and that the arrest was illegal.

The British Columbia Supreme Court has to decide whether to approve Meng’s extradition to the United States.

Meng’s arrest has caused a serious diplomatic crisis between Canada and China. The Beijing authorities accuse Ottawa of violating the human rights of its citizen and have requested her freedom.

Shortly after Meng’s arrest, Chinese authorities detained two Canadian citizens, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who have been charged with espionage and remain in Chinese prisons with only once a month access to Canadian consular personnel. EFE-EPA

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