VANCOUVER, Canada: Huawei Technologies Co chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was granted bail by a Canadian court Tuesday.
The British Columbia Supreme Court will allow the executive to stay in her Vancouver home as she awaits a possible extradition to the US over fraud charges.
Justice William Ehrcke of the British Columbia Supreme Court agreed to release Meng after four former colleagues and friends joined her husband in pledging a combined C$10 million (US $7.5 million) in cash and home equity to support her bail request.
By agreeing to act as "sureties," the five people commit to ensuring she doesn't flee and abides by other bail terms.
Meng, 46, will be subject to surveillance at her Vancouver home by a combination of security guards and technology as part of the agreement, and surrendered her Chinese and Hong Kong passports.
Ehrcke said he is satisfied the conditions of the bail reduce the risk that Meng will flee the country before the extradition proceedings.
Meng was arrested Dec 1 at the request of US authorities as she changed planes in Vancouver on her way to Mexico. The mother of four is accused of conspiring to defraud banks to unwittingly clear transactions linked to Iran, in violation of US sanctions.
The US has 60 days from the arrest date to turn over its full extradition case with supporting evidence.
In addition to posting US$7.5 million in bail, Meng will be required to stay in one of her three homes she owns in Vancouver (below), and pay for surveillance teams to try to ensure she doesn't skip. (Reuters photo)
