This week, the B.C. Supreme Court continued its hearings in Meng’s extradition case. The chief supervisor of passenger services for the Canada Border Services Agency at Vancouver Airport testified in response to defence lawyers’ questions about why border agency officials did not leave many relevant records about Meng before and after her arrest.
Nicole Goodman, who testified in court Dec. 9, said she had been trying to create a summary about the Dec. 1, 2018, arrest after a meeting with her own supervisor to document Customs’ role in the incident and lessons learned. Roslyn MacVicar, former director of the Canada Border Services Agency’s Pacific Region, told her not to do it and that “unnecessary records should not be created.” It’s not about hiding or deliberately hiding anything,” Goodman emphasized. There’s nothing to hide. I am completely transparent. There’s nothing sinister here.”
In cross-examination with previous witnesses, Meng’s attorneys questioned Border Service officials about the scant notes related to their immigration transit review of Meng before she was turned over to police. Defense attorney Mona Duckett noted that Goodman himself had no record of this.
Goodman was not at the airport on the day Meng arrived by plane from Hong Kong. But the Canada Border Agency chief had phone contact with an FBI official the day before and said it was difficult to take notes on phone communications, “which is normal and routine.”
Goodman also testified that FBI liaison officer John Sgroi called her later to request the results of the customs check and Meng’s travel records. But she did not share that information, which she insisted could only be shared through proper channels.
In this case, Meng’s legal team is trying to gather evidence to prove that the Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency conspired to violate Meng’s rights at the behest of U.S. authorities. Prior to Meng’s arrest, the CBSA questioned her for three hours without her lawyer. The defense wants to terminate the extradition on the grounds of “abuse of process” by the Canadian side.
Several CBSA witnesses who testified earlier insisted they had legitimate grounds to cross-examine Meng on the grounds that she had unresolved charges in the U.S. and that CBSA officials had discovered through online searches that Meng was involved in Canadian national security issues.
The defense will continue to cross-examine more of the Mounties and Border Agency officials involved in Meng’s arrest in the coming days of the hearing.
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