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Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou’s extradition case likely to end October 2020 with ruling shortly after

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou’s extradition case will likely run until October 2020, based on plans set forth by both the defence and prosecution during a court hearing on June 6th.

The South China Morning Post reported that one of Meng’s lawyers said that it would be “a record” if the court made a decision within two years.

“We expect to be comprehensive, complete and as fulsome as you will expect of us,” David Martin told the court on Thursday.

“These are our best estimates at this time,” he said, noting that this will be the most “tightest, most aggressive” scheduling of proceedings.

The prosecution agreed with the terms as well on Thursday.

The case would determine whether or not Meng would be extradited to the U.S. to proceed with a case involving 13 counts of bank and wire fraud charges that were laid on her, Huawei and subsidiary Skycom. Huawei denies all allegations, which have yet to be proven in court. Meng was arrested in December in Vancouver.

Both defence and prosecuting lawyers “broadly agreed on a January 2020 start to the committal hearings,” the South China Morning Post reported, but the associate chief justice has yet to agree to this date.

The associate chief justice did note that based on the scheduling of both sides “the extradition hearings would finish in October 2020, with a ruling afterward.”

Following the news, Huawei Canada’s vice-president of media affairs, Benjamin Howes, said the company “stands firmly with Ms. Meng.”

In a press release, he said that the allegations against Meng “do not constitute a crime.” That the extradition request violates Canadian extradition law. According to Canadian law, a person can’t be extradited to face punishment in another country “for conduct that is not criminal in Canada.”

He noted that evidence that is being presented by the U.S. government is “insufficient” and the allegations are “baseless.”

He also added that Canada’s law enforcement authorities “engaged in a serious abuse of process, and violated the Canadian Constitution.”

“Upon her arrest at the airport, Ms. Meng was subjected to an unlawful search by Canadian authorities under the pretense of a routine border check,” he said. “This is an abuse of Canada’s extradition process and a serious violation of her rights.”

The RCMP and CBSA both claim that they followed proper procedure.

Source: South China Morning Post

Update 07/06/19: The article was updated with additional reporting.

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