Border officer says he didn't intend to share Meng's phone passcodes

Photo: The Canadian Press

Meng Wanzhou

A border officer who assisted in the three-hour detention and examination of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou before her arrest at Vancouver's airport two years ago says collecting phone passcodes is routine during secondary examinations of foreign nationals.

Scott Kirkland told the B.C. Supreme Court yesterday that if he realized at the time that the piece of paper where he wrote the passcodes on would be passed on to RCMP along with her devices, he would have acted immediately.

He says he typically returns the piece of paper with passcodes to the foreign national as a reminder that they should change the codes after the examination.

Kirkland is the second in a series of witnesses called to testify this week at the request of Meng's defence team, which is gathering evidence for arguments it will make next year that she was subjected to an abuse of process.

The defence has alleged there was a "co-ordinated strategy" to have the RCMP delay her arrest so border officials could question Meng under the pretence of a routine immigration exam.

The case is scheduled to continue today.