Meng Wanzhou reaches deal in Huawei espionage case that will allow her to return to China, lawyer says

3 yıl önce

Justice Department officials have reached a deferred prosecution agreement with a tech executive from China that will allow her to return home from house arrest in Canada, the executive’s attorney confirmed Friday, a major development in an ongoing investigation that could have geopolitical implications.

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Huawei Technologies chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who has been held for three years on wire and bank fraud charges, was expected to make a virtual appearance in a Brooklyn courtroom Friday afternoon to formalize the agreement.

Her lawyer, Reid Weingarten, confirmed earlier news reports of the arrangement but did not provide details. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office declined to comment.

Huawei Technologies is the world’s largest communications equipment manufacturer.

Meng was arrested in December 2018 and charged with bank and wire fraud, accused of misleading banks about Huawei’s relationship with a firm in Iran called Skycom, which U.S. prosecutors allege is a Huawei subsidiary.

Prosecutors alleged that Huawei and Meng deceived the banks into clearing millions of dollars in transactions with Skycom in violation of U.S. sanctions prohibiting business dealings with Iran.

Meng has been held in Canada for three years, straining Beijing’s relations with Ottawa as well as Washington.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.