Straight Talk

Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou arrest linked to conspiracy to defraud international institutions

by Charlie Smith on December 7th, 2018 at 12:00 PM

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      The bail hearing of a Chinese tech-company executive has shed light on why she was arrested last weekend at Vancouver International Airport.

      Global B.C.'s Rumina Daya has tweeted that Meng Wanzhou has been charged in the United States with conspiracy to defraud international institutions.

      Meng is chief financial officer and deputy chair of Huawei Technologies Co., which is a major Chinese tech company.

      Each count carries a maximum sentence of 30 years.

      The charges became public after Meng's lawyer and the Crown did not oppose the lifting of a publication ban.

      The American government is seeking Meng's extradition. 

      Meanwhile, China has demanded that she be released from Canadian custody.

      According to Daya's tweets, the Crown has alleged that Meng "poses a potential flight risk".

      The Crown has maintained that there are no distinctions between SkyCom, which was doing business with Iran, and Huawei.

      Meng has said in the past that the two entities are separate.

      The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Iran in August after the United States reneged on an international deal to curb the Islamic Republic's nuclear ambitions.

      Meng is represented in court by Vancouver lawyer David Martin.

      None of the allegations against Meng have been proven in court.

      Meng Wanzhou is at the centre of an international diplomatic uproar that has all the makings of a John LeCarré novel.
      Huawei

      A huge crowd showed up today to attend the hearing, which is in the ultra-secure Room 20 of the B.C. Supreme Court building in downtown Vancouver.

      More than 100 people of Chinese ancestry were milling outside the courtroom, which was full.

      In addition, a large number of camera operators were stationed outside the entrance.

      Update

      Journalist Michael Mui has posted the following tweets:

      B.C. Assessment has valued the Matthews Avenue home at $16.3 million.

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