The Canadian judge hearing the U.S. extradition case of huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou has denied her request to take testimony from Huawei employees, a ruling showed Friday. The testimony refutes U.S. allegations that she misled banks about the company’s Iranian operations.
In the extradition case of Huawei Vice Chairman Meng Wanzhou, a BC Supreme Court judge on Friday rejected a request by Meng’s legal team to include testimony from two Huawei employees in the extradition case to prove that HSBC knew about Huawei’s business in Iran and that Meng did not mislead the other side. However, the judge tentatively agreed to include part of an expert’s report as evidence.
Meng’s lawyers ask for additional evidence
On Dec. 1, 2018, the RCMP arrested Meng at the request of the United States, who was transferring at Vancouver International Airport. The U.S. accused Meng of misleading HSBC about Huawei’s business dealings in Iran and causing the bank to violate a U.S. sanctions order, demanding Meng’s extradition to the U.S. Meng, 49, has always claimed her innocence.
Meng’s legal team sought additional evidence to show that HSBC knew about Huawei’s business in Iran and that Meng did not conceal it, let alone mislead the bank, on the matter.
Judge rejects Huawei’s request for additional witnesses
A Canadian judge has rejected Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou’s request to add testimonial evidence to her U.S. extradition case, according to a ruling released Friday. That evidence contradicts U.S. allegations that Meng misled bankers about the company’s Iranian business.
According to Reuters, the judge rejected the statements as evidence, but tentatively agreed to add parts of an expert report into evidence, subject to further submissions on its relevance.
Judge says testimony will lead to each side saying its own thing
The U.S. accused Meng of lying about Huawei’s business dealings in Iran at a meeting with HSBC. And two Huawei employees who were part of that meeting noted in affidavits that HSBC employees knew about Huawei’s business in Iran. Meng’s legal team asked the judge to admit the two affidavits as evidence.
However, BC Supreme Court Deputy Chief Justice Heather Holmes said the admission of the two affidavits into evidence would undoubtedly turn the case into a “you-say-your-say, he-say-his-say, no-other-witness” situation and go beyond the “proper scope” of an extradition hearing. “.
Holmes noted that the inclusion of this statement in evidence would not lead to more credible discovery.
Holmes also dismissed two other statements from Huawei employees, stating that they were outside the “proper scope” of the extradition hearing. In the statements, the employees claimed HSBC was aware of Huawei’s ties to Iranian companies.
Holmes wrote: “The difficulty facing Ms. Meng is that the evidence relates to issues within the scope of the trial, not within the scope of the extradition hearing.”
U.S. Evidence Said to be Potentially Misleading
On the other hand, Holmes tentatively allowed part of the expert’s report on the application of the U.S. sanctions order to financial institutions to be included in evidence, noting that that part of the report might address the alleged potential misleading nature of the U.S. evidence. However, Holmes said that additional documents would be necessary to prove their relevance.
Meng is scheduled to appear in court next Monday as the case enters the final stages of arguments. The hearing is scheduled to end in May. Huawei has not commented on the update.
Recent Comments