Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was back in a Vancouver courtroom on Monday, with lawyers battling over the disclosure of documents related to her upcoming extradition trial.
Meng, still wearing an electronic ankle bracelet, sat attentively in the chamber at the B.C. Supreme Court, in close communication with her interpreter and frequently referring to documents.
Meng’s legal team argues she was unlawfully detained at Vancouver International Airport last December at the direction of U.S. authorities, and is seeking detailed documents it says will help make an argument that her Charter rights were violated.
WATCH: Meng Wanzhou arrives in Vancouver courthouse to attend hearing
A court submission released Monday by the Attorney General of Canada show a series of disclosure requests by Meng’s legal team in the time since her arrest.
The AG’s office says it made several disclosures, including RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) notes from the day of the arrest, video and audio recordings and the provisional arrest request from the U.S.
The AG’s submission argues Canada has already gone above and beyond its disclosure duties to Meng, and argues she was now engaged in a “fishing expedition for materials she hopes will reveal the speculative conspiracy she alleges.”
Meng’s response to the AG’s submission, also released Monday, argues the government’s disclosure to this point does “little to answer questions raised regarding the conduct of the RCMP and CBSA.”
In court Monday, Meng’s defence team renewed its argument that the CBSA, RCMP and and the Department of Justice coordinated improperly to obscure the real reason for her detention, amounting to an “abuse of process.”
Her lawyer told the court Canadian border officials and police had conducted a “covert criminal investigation” under the pretense of a routine border check, delaying her arrest so that CBSA officers could interrogate her and collect evidence for U.S. authorities.
Her lawyer also told the court that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had made it a priority to have Meng’s electronic devices seized, and that the Canadian authorities had accepted the U.S. agency’s request without question.
Canadian officials deny the allegations.
In its submissions, the AG argues that the CBSA acted within its rights to examine anyone entering Canada and their property.
“Where, as in the applicant’s circumstance, a foreign national is the subject of a foreign indictment and an extradition arrest warrant, the examination will properly cover concerns about potential inadmissibility,” states the AG’s submission.
“The CBSA properly fulfilled its role in examining the applicant and her goods to assess her admissibility,” it adds, arguing that the RCMP acted within the law to arrest Meng once her border examination was complete.
None of the allegations in the case have been tested in court.
Meng was arrested at the behest of the United States, which is seeking her extradition on fraud charges in violation of sanctions with Iran.
Both Meng and Chinese tech giant Huawei have denied any wrongdoing.
Her arrest sparked a diplomatic crisis between Canada and China.
Meng is the chief financial officer of Huawei and the daughter of the company’s founder.
Her extradition trial won’t begin until Jan. 20. Meng is free on bail and living in Vancouver.
-With files from the Canadian Press
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