Jailed Huawei executive’s bail decision delayed

Vancouver, Dec 11 (IANS) A Canadian court has delayed the hearing of Chinese tech company Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), who has been accused of helping the firm dodge US sanctions on Iran, to Tuesday after two days of arguments.

Meng Wanzhou, 46, was arrested in Vancouver on December 1 at the request of American authorities and faces extradition to the US, reports CNN.

David Martin, Meng’s attorney, has proposed that she be allowed to reside in one of her properties in Vancouver in the interim because of health concerns including severe hypertension.

He said Meng would be closely monitored and would personally cover all the related security costs.

Meng, 46, is a high-profile executive at Huawei, one of the world’s biggest makers of smartphones and networking equipment. In addition to her role as CFO, she also serves as deputy chairperson of the company’s board.

According to Canadian prosecutors, the US has alleged that Meng helped Huawei get around American sanctions on Iran by telling financial institutions that a company subsidiary, Skycom, was a separate and unaffiliated company.

Meng faces "serious charges of fraud" in the US involving "millions of dollars", where she could receive substantial jail time if convicted, according to a statement from a Canadian law enforcement official filed in court.

Canadian authorities, meanwhile, believe that Meng should only be released if she receives tough bail conditions, since she has "access to large amounts of resources to escape the jurisdiction", the prosecutors said.

Meng’s detention has further strained the tense relationship between Washington and Beijing just as the two sides are trying to negotiate an end to their bruising trade war, CNN reported.

Chinese officials have demanded that Meng be let go.

Over the weekend, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it had summoned both US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad and Canadian Ambassador to China John McCallum to address Meng’s detention, which it described as "lawless, reasonless and ruthless".