Chinese executive facing extradition seeks bail
Case has raised doubts about the trade truce with the U.S.
A top Chinese telecommunications executive facing possible extradition to the United States appeared in court Friday as she sought bail in a case that has rattled markets and raised doubts about the U.S. being able to reach a truce in its trade war with China.
A prosecutor for the Canadian government urged the court not to grant bail, saying the charges against Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer for Chinese telecom giant Huawei, involve U.S. allegations Huawei used a shell company to access the Iran market in dealings that contravene U.S. sanctions.
Prosecutor John Gibb-carsley said Meng, who has vast financial resources as the daughter of Huawei’s founder, has incentive to f lee Canada because she faces fraud charges in the U.S. that could bring up to 30 years in prison.
The prosecutor said Meng assured U.S. banks Huawei and the shell company alleged to have done business with Iran, called Skycom, were separate companies, but in fact Skycom and Huawei were one and the same.
“Ms. Meng personally represented to those banks that Skycom and Huawei were separate, when in fact they were not separate,” Gibb-carsley said. “Skycom was Huawei.”
Meng has contended Huawei sold Skycom in 2009.
Gibb-carsley said the warrant for Meng’s arrest was issued in New York on Aug. 22. He said Meng was aware of the investigation and had avoided the U.S. since March 2017. Meng was arrested in Vancouver on Saturday.
Meng’s lawyer, David Martin said Meng’s own personal integrity would not allow her to go against a court order, and that she would not embarrass her father, company founder Ren Zhengfei , by breaching such an order. He said Meng had agreed to wear an ankle monitor.