By Canadian Press

Nothing ‘routine’ about Meng Wanzhou’s treatment at Vancouver airport: Defence

Sep 24, 2019 | 1:01 PM

VANCOUVER — A lawyer for Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou say there was nothing “routine” about the way she was questioned by border officials before she was read her rights and informed of her arrest at Vancouver’s airport last December.

Meng’s defence team is back court today, asking the B.C. Supreme Court to compel the release of further documentation to support its arguments ahead of her extradition trial in January.

They allege that Meng was the subject of an abuse of process and want Justice Heather Holmes to order further disclosure from the Crown.

In court documents, the Attorney General of Canada says the federal border services agency and the RCMP followed protocol in their treatment of Meng.

Defence lawyer Richard Peck pointed to a solemn declaration sworn by a border official that says Meng repeatedly asked why she was taken for secondary screening and that he questioned her about her business activity in Iran.

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Peck also presented video showing that neither the border official nor another agent who was standing by took notes of the conversation, even though the second official had “meticulously” taken notes during other portions of Meng’s detention in the screening area.

Based on documents filed with the court, part of the defence team’s argument will be that the official intentionally failed to properly document their process.

“There is nothing routine about this,” Peck told the court.

Meng was arrested at the request of the United States, which is seeking her extradition on fraud charges in violation of sanctions with Iran.

Both Meng and Chinese tech giant Huawei have denied any wrongdoing and none of the allegations have been tested in court.

Her arrest sparked a diplomatic crisis between Canada and China.

Meng is the chief financial officer of Huawei and the daughter of the company’s founder.

Her extradition trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 20. Meng is free on bail and living in Vancouver.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on Sept. 24, 2019.

The Canadian Press