VANCOUVER (Reuters) - Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou returned to a Vancouver courtroom on Wednesday where Canadian prosecutors defended a U.S. extradition request, saying Meng’s alleged bank fraud is the heart of the case that has strained relations between Ottawa and Beijing.
Canadian prosecutors have told the British Columbia Supreme Court that Meng was arrested on charges of bank fraud, which is a crime in both countries, and not because of U.S. allegations she violated U.S. sanctions against Iran.
Over three days of hearings, Meng’s legal team argued that “double criminality” is at the heart of the U.S. extradition request.
When ending its arguments on Tuesday, the defense told the judge that the case is “unique” because “the risk of economic deprivation arises solely from the operation of a foreign criminal law for which no corresponding Canadian…law exists.”
The United States has charged Meng with bank fraud, and accused her of misleading HSBC Holdings Plc about Huawei Technologies Co Ltd’s [HWT.UL] business in Iran.
“Lying to a bank in order to get banking services that creates a risk of economic prejudice is fraud. Fraud not sanctions violations is at the heart of this case,” Canadian prosecutor Robert Frater told the court in his opening remark on Wednesday.
He said even when considering the foreign legal context of the U.S. sanctions against Iran, the case for fraud can still be made.
CANADIAN SOVEREIGNTY
Unlike the defense which encouraged the judge to consider the importance of Canada’s independence and absence of sanctions against Iran, the prosecutors say the judge should think
