VANCOUVER – A defence lawyer says an extradition case involving Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, raises “serious concerns” about political motivations.
The executive was arrested in December at Vancouver’s airport at the request of U.S. authorities and Canada announced last week it intends to proceed with the extradition case.
Meng’s lawyer Richard Peck has told a British Columbia Supreme Court judge the case is “rare” and comments by United States President Donald Trump raise concerns.
WATCH: Immigration Lawyer Richard Kurland explains what happened with Meng Wanzhou’s court date in Vancouver
Trump has said he’d intervene in the case if that helped secure a trade deal with Beijing.
Peck says the case is complex and will take time, and as a result the defence and Crown have agreed to put it over until May 8 to fix a date for an extradition hearing.
John Gibb-Carsley, the prosecutor representing the Attorney General of Canada, says over the coming weeks the Crown and defence will discuss which applications need to be brought forward.
WATCH: Tension with China grows with blow to Canadian canola farmers