Canada doing U.S. ‘dirty work’: protester
The bail hearing for a senior executive at Chinese tech giant Huawei who is wanted by the United States on allegations of fraud has heard about plans for her security if she is released.
A former RCMP officer and head of a private security firm told B.C. Supreme Court on Monday he is developing a plan to provide security for Meng Wanzhou, the company’s chief financial officer.
News of Meng’s arrest last week shook world stock markets and derailed British Columbia’s trade mission to China on the weekend as the Chinese government warned Canada of “grave consequences” if Meng is not released.
The United States wants to extradite Meng to face fraud allegations related to business it says the company did with Iran in violation of sanctions. Canadian authorities arrested the high-profile technology executive while she was travelling through Vancouver’s airport on Dec. 1.
Scot Filer said his company, Lions Gate Risk Management Group, has never monitored anyone on bail but former police officers and a driver would provide around-the clock surveillance of Meng and make a citizen’s arrest if she were to violate any bail conditions.
Filer said Meng’s lawyer contacted him last Wednesday to put together a plan. He said he has met with her family and checked her home in Vancouver.
Under his company’s proposal, Meng’s travels would be restricted to the city and surrounding municipalities, and she would be monitored using a dedicated encrypted network.
Outside court, a protester said Canada is helping the United States do its “dirty work” by arresting her. Protester Ada Yu, who lives in Vancouver and is originally from China, said she doesn’t think the U.S. has a strong case against Meng and it appears to be politically motivated. Yu said Meng’s arrest is a violation of a Chinese citizen’s legal rights.
When the bail hearing began Friday, a federal prosecutor alleged that Huawei used its subsidiary Skycom to do business with Iranian telecommunications companies between 2009 and 2014.
John Gibb-Carsley said Meng is alleged to have said Huawei and Skycom were separate companies in a meeting with an executive of a financial institution, misleading the executive and putting the institution at risk of financial harm and criminal liability.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Gibb-Carsley said Reuters reported in 2013 that Huawei was operating Skycom and had attempted to import U.S.-manufactured computer equipment into Iran in violation of sanctions.