Canadian police supervisor who oversaw Huawei CFO arrest set for more
questioning
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[November 25, 2020]
By Sarah Berman
VANCOUVER (Reuters) - Testimony from the
Canadian police supervisor who oversaw the arrest of Huawei Chief
Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou two years ago will continue on Wednesday,
with the defense expected to dig into the changes in the arrest plan.
Meng, 48, was arrested in December 2018 at Vancouver International
Airport by Canadian police, on a warrant from the United States. She is
facing charges of bank fraud for allegedly misleading HSBC about Huawei
Technologies Co Ltd's business dealings in Iran, causing the bank to
break U.S. sanctions.
Meng has said she is innocent and is fighting the extradition, arguing
that abuses of process occurred which should invalidate it.
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In particular, her lawyers have alleged that U.S. and Canadian
authorities coordinated ahead of her arrest to use the extended
investigative powers of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to
interrogate her without a lawyer present, before her arrest by the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Prosecutors have sought to prove the process followed the law.
On Tuesday, RCMP supervisor Sergeant Janice Vander Graaf, who oversaw
Meng's arrest, said she relayed a suggestion from her superior that
officers apprehend Meng on the plane, but said she herself thought this
was "overstepping authority."
However, Meng was first detained by the CBSA and interrogated for nearly
three hours during which border agents seized her electronic devices and
secured passcodes.
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![](../images/112520pics/news_p31.jpg)
Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou leaves her
home to attend a court hearing in Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada November 23, 2020. REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier
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Testimony has also focused on the seizure of Meng's electronic
devices. Huawei lawyers have claimed Canadian police inappropriately
shared identifying details about the devices, including serial
numbers and passcodes, with U.S. authorities.
Witnesses from the CBSA and RCMP have testified over two and a half
weeks on the events surrounding Meng's detainment and arrest,
focusing on the decision to allow the CBSA to interrogate her ahead
of the arrest.
Diplomatic relations between Ottawa and Beijing have degraded in the
wake of Meng's arrest. China arrested Canadian citizens Michael
Spavor and Michael Kovrig on espionage charges days later.
Witness testimony is set to last until Friday, with the potential
for two to three more days scheduled in December. Meng's extradition
hearing is expected to wrap up in April 2021.
(Reporting by Sarah Berman in Vancouver; Additional reporting by
Moira Warburton in Toronto; Editing by Denny Thomas and Leslie
Adler)
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