The federal Justice Department gave the go-ahead Friday for an extradition case to proceed against Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who is wanted in the United States on fraud allegations.
The decision marks the formal start of the high-profile extradition process for Meng, whose arrest has put Canada in a deeply uncomfortable position between two superpowers.
China has also criticized Canada for acting on what it sees as a politically motivated extradition request from the Americans, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly contemplated intervening in Meng's case in the interests of securing a better trade deal with China.The government news release Friday announcing the decision appeared to take into consideration the deeply sensitive nature of Meng's case and the allegations of political interference that have surrounded it.
The case heads back to the British Columbia Supreme Court on Wednesday to confirm that the “authority to proceed” has been issued. The court will also schedule the date for the extradition hearing. The statement, signed by David J. Martin, said the defence is also concerned the minister gave his approval even though the acts the U.S. wants to try Meng for would not be an offence in Canada.
The indictment accuses Huawei and Meng of misrepresenting their ownership of a Hong Kong-based subsidiary between 2007 and 2017 to circumvent U.S. sanctions against Iran. The company's U.S. branch is also accused of stealing trade secrets and equipment from cellphone provider T-Mobile USA.
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