Huawei’s CFO granted $10M bail pending extradition to U.S.

Huawei's CFO granted $10M bail pending extradition to U.S.
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Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, was arrested on Saturday while she was travelling through the Vancouver airport. (Huawei via The Associated Press). Photo courtesy of CBC.

Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, was arrested on Saturday while she was traveling through the Vancouver airport. (Huawei via The Associated Press). Photo courtesy of CBC.

A B.C. Supreme Court justice has ruled that Huawei’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, will be released on $10 million bail as she awaits possible extradition to the United States on fraud charges and allegations that the company skirted trade sanctions against Iran.

$7 million of that bail payment must be made in cash, and Meng must also maintain good behavior, report to a bail supervisor, stay in B.C., live at a house owned by her husband, Liu Xiaozong, and stay in that house between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

John Gibb-Carsley, a federal prosecutor representing the attorney general of Canada, asked the judge to deny Meng’s request for bail, saying she has the financial means to flee and has no connection to Vancouver, despite owning two homes in the city.

Justice William Ehrcke of the Supreme Court of British Columbia said Tuesday he is satisfied Meng, a well-educated businesswoman with letters of reference, does not pose a flight risk. He placed 16 conditions on her release, including that she wear an electronic monitor to track her location.

Meng was arrested on a warrant that alleges she committed fraud because Huawei used unofficial subsidiary Skycom to do business with Iranian telecommunications companies between 2009 and 2014 in violation of international sanctions.

That warrant is provisional, and the United States has 60 days to make an extradition request.

The bail hearing began Friday with Gibb-Carsley outlining the allegations against Meng. According to court documents filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, Meng faces “multiple criminal charges” and each charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison if she were convicted.

None of the allegations has been proven in court.

The chief financial officer of Huawei has denied the allegations through her lawyer in court, promising to fight them if she is extradited to face charges in the United States.

The tech giant Huawei was founded by Meng’s father, Ren Zhengfei. The company has projected 2018 sales of more than US$102 billion and has overtaken Apple in smartphone sales.

The company has said it is not aware of any wrongdoing by Meng and Martin said no charge or indictment has been filed against his client, just a warrant.

Story by Canadian Press. 

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