Huawei CFO takes the fight to Canada

The high profile arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wenzhou has taken another turn after the Chinese telco firm’s chief financial officer sued the Canadian government.

Wenzhou, the daughter to Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, claims her arrest was unlawful and arbitrary, according to international news agencies.

AP reports that the Huawei CFO is alleging that Canadian authorities detained, searched and interrogated her before telling her she was under arrest.

“Meng’s lawsuit alleges that instead of immediately arresting her, authorities interrogated her “under the guise of a routine customs” examination and used the opportunity to “compel her to provide evidence and information”.”, AP reported.

The lawsuit also claims that Meng’s electronic devices were seized, passwords to the devices obtained and contents unlawfully viewed before the Huawei CFO was informed of the true reasons for her arrest.

“Officers held her to get information they “did not believe would be obtained if the Plaintiff was immediately arrested”, breaking her rights under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” BBC wrote.

The Huawei CFO also says in the lawsuit that it was only three hours later that she was informed she was under arrest and granted the right to legal counsel.

AP quotes the suit as saying, “This case concerns a deliberate and pre-meditated effort on the part of the defendant officers to obtain evidence and information from the plaintiff in a manner which they knew constituted serious violations of the plaintiff’s rights.”

Meng was arrested on December 1, 2018 in Vancouver, Canada at an airport while in transit. The arrest was at the request of US authorities who plan to extradite her.

Her arrest saw the Chinese react by claiming the detention was politically motivated. China also went on to detain Canadian nationals within its borders in what was widely seen as a retaliatory act.

Meng is currently out on bail, living in Vancouver.

See Also: Corruption and the tasty samosa