Politics

Huawei’s Meng seeks adjournment in final extradition hearings

Toronto, Canada, Apr 19 (EFE).- Lawyers for Huawei’s executive Meng Wanzhou Monday sought a delay in the final hearings of her extradition proceedings to review a set of documents that will show how the United States allegedly misled Canada in fraud allegations against her.

Meng’s defense team has sought the adjournment for three months to assess the documents released last week in Hong Kong.

The US has requested Meng’s extradition but the defense believes that HSBC bank documents prove that Washington provided Canada with false information about the case against the chief financial officer of the Chinese telecom giant.

The 49-year-old daughter of the Huawei founder was arrested on Dec 1, 2018, at Vancouver airport during a layover on her flight to Mexico.

The Canadian police detained Meng at the request of the US Department of Justice for committing banking fraud to evade sanctions against Iran.

Meng’s top lawyer Richard Peck said the adjournment “was necessary to ensure fundamental fairness” in the case.

Peck was arguing in the court of Judge Heather Holmes, who has to determine the extradition of the Chinese citizen to the US.

Holmes will decide Wednesday on the request of Meng’s lawyers.

The defense had to begin the final set of arguments scheduled for next week to get the court to reject the extradition request based on alleged abuse of process in the case.

Last week, Meng’s lawyers reached an agreement with HSBC bank in Hong Kong to release a series of documents related to the case.

Her defense has also asked courts in the United Kingdom and the US to order the publication of other documents.

The defense has alleged that the US authorities have submitted misleading information to Canada to justify the case against Meng.

The US has alleged Meng of conspiring, committing fraud, and lying to a senior HSBC executive in Hong Kong about Huawei’s ties with Skycom, a subsidiary accused of violating US economic sanctions against Iran.

Meng’s arrest and the extradition process have triggered a diplomatic crisis between Canada and China.

Beijing has accused Ottawa of violating the human rights of its citizen.

In the immediate aftermath of Meng’s arrest, China detained two Canadian citizens, Michael Kovrig, a diplomat on leave of absence working for a think-tank in China, and Michael Spavor, a businessman with strong ties to North Korea.

The two, charged with espionage, were tried on Mar.19 and 22 behind closed doors without the presence of Canadian consular representatives.

It is unknown whether the Chinese courts sentenced the Canadians. EFE

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