By Sarah Berman
VANCOUVER, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Huawei Chief Financial Officer
Meng Wanzhou will return to a Canadian court on Monday as
witness testimony in her U.S. extradition case resumes, amid
news last week that her lawyers and U.S. prosecutors held talks
to reach a deal that could see her release and to return to
China after two years of house arrest.
Meng, 48, was arrested in Canada in December 2018 on a
warrant from the United States. She is facing charges of bank
fraud for allegedly misleading HSBC Holdings Plc about
Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's business dealings in Iran,
causing the bank to break U.S. sanctions.
She has said she is innocent and is fighting the extradition
from under house arrest in Vancouver.
U.S. prosecutors are discussing a deal with lawyers for
Huawei's Meng to resolve criminal charges against her, a person
familiar with the matter said on Thursday, signaling a potential
end to a case that has strained ties between the United States,
China and Canada.
Her lawyers have argued in the British Columbia Supreme
Court that Meng's extradition should be thrown out based on
alleged abuses of process that took place during her
investigation by Canadian border officials and subsequent arrest
by police.
They have also claimed the case has been politicized to the
point where Meng would not receive a fair trial in the United
States, pointing to comments made by President Donald Trump in
an interview with Reuters in December 2018 about his willingness
to use Meng as a bargaining chip in trade talks with China.
In previous weeks of witnesses' cross examinations,
officials from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) testified in the court that
the process leading up to Meng's investigation and arrest was
rushed but by the book.
Prosecutors are arguing that Meng's extradition is valid and
procedures were followed.
Meng's arrest caused a chill in diplomatic relations between
Ottawa and Beijing. Shortly after Meng was detained, China
arrested two Canadian men - Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor -
who now face spying charges.
On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the
release of the two Canadians was his "top priority", while
declining to comment on the talks to release Meng.
Meng's case is scheduled to wrap up in April 2021.
(Additional reporting by Moira Warburton in Toronto
Editing by Denny Thomas and Lisa Shumaker)