Meng Wanzhou, second left, chief financial officer of Huawei, leaves B.C. Supreme Court during a break from a hearing, in Vancouver, on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
A Canadian border official who oversaw staff at Vancouver’s airport when Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested two years ago testified on Friday she thought information sharing between her agency and law-enforcement agencies was inappropriate.
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) chief Nicole Goodman told the court Ms. Meng’s travel history should not have been shared with the FBI. She was reacting to communications shown in court between Canadian and U.S. agencies that did not establish a clear legal basis for such sharing.
Ms. Goodman testified in British Columbia Supreme Court as part of Chinese executive’s U.S. extradition case. Ms. Meng, the 48-year old daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on a U.S. warrant on Dec. 1, 2018, at Vancouver International Airport.
She faces charges of bank fraud for allegedly misleading HSBC about Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.’s business dealings in Iran, causing the bank to break U.S. sanctions.
Ms. Meng has denied the charges and is fighting the extradition from Vancouver, where she is under house arrest.
Her lawyers have argued that U.S. and Canadian authorities co-ordinated ahead of her arrest, using the extended investigative powers of the CBSA to first interrogate her without a lawyer present. They allege that the RCMP directed the CBSA’s investigation of Ms. Meng, and that the agency inappropriately shared information with the RCMP. On Friday Ms. Meng’s defence lawyer Mona Duckett in her questioning of Goodman sought to reinforce a claim that Canadian officials mishandled the case, such as by the RCMP illegally leading the CBSA’s investigation and covering this up.
“There’s nothing for me to hide. I feel like everything was done in good faith,” Ms. Goodman said.
Prosecutors say the investigation and arrest followed standard procedures and the extradition should move forward.
The Canadian prosecutors on the case also said two additional witnesses are expected to testify next week as part of Ms. Meng’s U.S. extradition hearing. Witness testimony continues amid reports last week that U.S. prosecutors are discussing a deal with lawyers for Ms. Meng to resolve criminal charges against her, signalling a potential end to a case that has strained ties between the United States, China and Canada.
China arrested Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig on espionage charges soon after Ms. Meng’s arrest.
The extradition hearing is expected to wrap up in April.
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