Huawei CFO’s arrest at airport to be focus of Vancouver hearing

VANCOUVER, Sept 23 (Reuters): Lawyers for Huawei Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Meng Wanzhou will be in a Canadian courtroom on Monday to press for details surrounding her arrest at Vancouver's airport nearly 10 months ago.

Meng (47), was detained on Dec 01 at the request of the United States, where she is charged with bank fraud and accused of misleading HSBC Holdings Plc about Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's business in Iran. Meng, who is expected in court, has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition.

The arrest has strained China's relations with both the United States and Canada.

At Monday's 10:00 am hearing before Justice Heather Holmes of the British Columbia Supreme Court, Meng's defence team will request more disclosure surrounding her detention at the airport, including contacts between US and Canadian authorities.

Meng's lawyers argue she was unlawfully detained, searched and questioned for over three hours after she landed on a flight from Hong Kong. Under the ruse of an immigration check, the defence claims, Canadian officials delayed her arrest and collected evidence for US authorities.

Extradition proceedings against Meng should be halted if officials abused the process, the lawyers say. Besides accusations of misconduct related to her detention, they argue the United States is using Meng for economic and political gain, noting that after her arrest, US President Donald Trump said he would intervene if it would help close a trade deal.

Lawyers for Canada will respond to the demand for more information about Meng's arrest in court, according to a Canadian Department of Justice spokesman, who added that Meng had already been provided with "extensive disclosure, beyond what is required."