(Adds Meng's arrival)
By Tessa Vikander
VANCOUVER, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Huawei Chief Financial Officer
Meng Wanzhou arrived in a Vancouver courtroom on Thursday to
wrap up the first phase of a U.S. extradition hearing where her
lawyers will respond to the Canadian prosecutor's arguments
calling for Meng to be extradited to the United States on bank
fraud charges.
Legal experts have said it could be years before a final
decision is reached in the case, since Canada's justice system
allows many decisions to be appealed.
On Wednesday, prosecutors argued that Meng should be
extradited on fraud charges, and that contrary to her defence
argument, the case is not solely about violation of U.S.
sanctions against Iran.
"Fraud, not sanctions violations is at the heart of this
case," prosecutor Robert Frater told the judge on Wednesday.
Meng, 47, has said she is innocent and is fighting
extradition. She entered court wearing a white polka dot dress
with a long-sleeved black top and stiletto heels that she has
often favored during the trial.
Although the courts had set aside two full days for the
prosecution to present its case, the prosecution took only half
of a day, and closed its arguments before lunch on Wednesday.
The United States has charged Meng with bank fraud, and
accused her of misleading HSBC Holdings Plc about
Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's business in Iran.
But Meng's legal team argued that "double criminality," is
the central issue in this case. Under Canadian extradition laws,
a person can only be extradited if the offence they are alleged
to have committed in another country is also considered illegal
in Canada. This is commonly called "double criminality."
Unlike the United States, Canada did not have sanctions
against Iran at the time Canadian officials authorized the start
of the extradition process, her lawyers have said.
"In reality, sanctions violation is the essence of the
alleged misconduct ... the United States has a global interest
in enforcing its Iran sanctions. Sanctions drive this case,"
Richard Peck, one of Meng's lawyers added.
Frater argued Wednesday that the judge's job was to "ensure
that Canada doesn't become a safe haven for fraudsters."
He also said it is not the judge's role to determine whether
Meng is guilty of fraud, but whether the alleged behaviour could
also be prosecuted as fraud in Canada.
Court proceedings show the United States issued the arrest
warrant, which Canada acted on in December 2018, because it
believes Meng covered up attempts by Huawei-linked companies to
sell equipment to Iran, breaking U.S. sanctions against the
country.
Meng's court proceedings have attracted global media
interest and the case has strained relationship between China
and Canada.
Meng, the daughter of Huawei's billionaire founder Ren
Zhengfei, remains free on bail in Canada, and has been living in
a mansion in Vancouver’s exclusive Shaughnessy neighborhood.
Meng's legal team is currently only scheduled to call
evidence in the last week of April, and a second phase of the
trial, focusing on abuse of process and whether Canadian
officials followed the law while arresting Meng, is set to begin
in June. Closing arguments are expected in the last week of
September and first week of October.
(Writing by Denny Thomas
Editing by Lisa Shumaker)