Canada arrested Huawei’s chief financial officer
in December 2018 at Vancouver’s airport at the
request of the U.S. as she was changing flights.
The U.S. Justice Department accuses Huawei
of using a Hong Kong shell company to sell
equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions.
It says Meng, 47, committed fraud by misleading
the HSBC bank about the company’s business
dealings in Iran.
On Thursday, Canadian Department of Justice
lawyer Robert Frater told Associate Chief Justice
Heather Holmes that fraud is at the heart of the
case and by lying to the bank, Meng put the
bank at risk.
Frater said sanctions were the reason for
the meeting with the bank, but it is the
alleged misrepresentation that matters to the
United States.
In his closing summation, defense lawyer
Richard Peck reiterated the defense argument
that sanctions, not fraud, are the essence of
the case.
“Right needs to be done. Right is rooted not only
in the statutory law, but it lays at the core of the
rule of law.” Peck said.
Homes said she would reserve her decision.
If the judge rules she finds that what Meng is
charged with is not a crime in Canada, Meng will
be free to leave Canada.
Meng, who is free on bail and living in one of the
two Vancouver mansions she owns, waved to
the public on the way in the courtroom.
The second phase of her extradition hearing,
scheduled for June, will consider defense
allegations that Canada Border Services, the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the FBI