'Huawei Executive's Arrest As Per Procedure'

The Canadian police officer who arrested a Huawei executive in Vancouver in 2018 told a court that the apprehension was done by the book, amid claims by her lawyers that her rights were violated during the process.

This came as the five day hearing on the extradition case of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou started in the British Columbia Supreme Court.

This week's hearings will focus on abuse of process committed by Canadian and US authorities during her December 2018 arrest at Vancouver International Airport, as alleged by her lawyers. The case has intensified diplomatic tensions between China and the two North American nations.

Meng, 48, is charged by the United States with bank fraud for allegedly misleading HSBC about Huawei's business dealings in Iran, causing the bank to break US sanction laws.

She denies the charges and is fighting extradition from under house arrest in Vancouver.

Meng's lawyers have argued that Canadian authorities improperly communicated with their US counterparts, including allegedly sharing identifying details about her electronic devices.

Canada has denied this and provided affidavits from members of the federal Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) who were involved in Meng's arrest.

Meng arrived in court wearing a black sparkly cardigan, knitted blue top and grey skirt, accompanied by her translator as she came face to face with Winston Yep, a RCMP officer who arrested her nearly two years ago.

Meng's lawyers have alleged that authorities used the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and its powers to search passengers to investigate Meng in a way that violated her rights.

Government lawyer John Gibb-Carsley asked Yep why, as the arresting officer, he didn't board the plane once Meng had landed. Yep said that because the airport is within the CBSA's jurisdiction it was decided that the CBSA would do its work first.

Yep said "there was no concern" about this process and added other passengers on the plane created a potential risk of violence if they made the arrest on the aircraft. (AFP)