Huawei CFO to appear in Canada court in US extradition case

The bail hearing could be just a preliminary session to set out a schedule, lawyers said.

The Crown counsel is expected to argue that Meng poses a flight risk and should be kept in a detention facility, legal experts said. The onus will be on Meng’s lawyer to provide evidence that she will not flee, they added.

Huawei, which has confirmed Meng was arrested, said on Wednesday that “the company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng.”

A Huawei spokesman declined to comment on Thursday and said that Wednesday’s statement still stands.

LONG FIGHT

If granted bail, Meng will likely have to post bail with “a surety of several million dollars”, Vancouver lawyer Gary Botting, who has experience with extradition cases, said. She would also have to give up her passport, he said.

Meng could also be fitted with electronic monitoring equipment, and the court could go so far as to order security to monitor her while she awaits a decision on extradition, lawyers said.

If Meng fights extradition, her case could go on for years, lawyers said, pointing to examples like Lai Changxing, a Chinese businessman who fled to Canada after he was implicated in a bribery case and fought extradition to China for 12 years. If she chooses not to fight, she could be in the United States within weeks, experts said.

“You need massive material and evidence to support detention release,” said Richard Kurland, a Vancouver-based immigration lawyer. He said Meng would likely be returned to detention if there was no decision on bail.

It is unclear where Meng is being held in Vancouver. Several lawyers have noted that detention facilities in the region are spartan and she would likely be sharing her quarters with other inmates.

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