Judge urged to keep Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou's extradition hearing moving

Photo: The Canadian Press

A lawyer for Canada's attorney general says the defence team for Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou is trying to fight their case against charges she faces in the United States in a Canadian court.

Crown prosecutor Robert Frater urged Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes of the B.C. Supreme Court on Tuesday not to turn Meng's extradition hearing into a U.S. trial, adding that an extradition judge has a duty as gatekeeper to ensure proceedings are swift and focused.

Meng is wanted in the U.S. on charges of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud related to sanctions against Iran that both she and Huawei deny.

Holmes is considering whether to allow the defence team to present an argument next year that Meng was the victim of an abuse of process because they allege the U.S. misled Canadian officials in its summary of allegations.

The defence is also asking the court to admit further evidence to support that claim.

But Frater told Holmes an extradition hearing is not a trial and accused Meng's lawyers of trying to introduce evidence that would be more appropriate for a U.S. jury to hear.