Judge blocks admission of new evidence on ‘loan loss’ in Meng case

VANCOUVER — Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou has lost a bid to admit additional evidence in her extradition case showing no risk of loan loss by the international bank at the centre of the fraud allegations.

Meng’s lawyers had argued in court to allow evidence that loans from HSBC were repaid in full, but B.C. Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes says the evidence isn’t relevant.

Holmes says in a written ruling she agrees with an argument by Canada’s attorney general that the inclusion of the loans in the U.S. record of the case is relevant to allegations against Meng.

Holmes says the United States claims HSBC was misled by Meng’s alleged misrepresentation into continuing a banking relationship with the Huawei group of companies.

The judge says a lender who makes a loan on the strength of a misrepresentation is at risk of economic loss, because they have lost the use of the funds for the period of the loan.

Meng denies allegations by the United States that she misrepresented Huawei’s control of another company in a presentation to HSBC, putting the bank at risk of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2021.

The Canadian Press

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