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Canadian court sets Huawei CFO’s extradition hearing for May 8

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Toronto, March 7 (IANS) A Canadian court on Wednesday ruled that Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou’s initial extradition hearing will take place on May 8 in the western city of Vancouver.

The senior executive with that Chinese telecommunications giant faces fraud charges in the US, where an indictment unveiled in January accused her of deceiving banks into approving transactions that may have violated unilateral US sanctions against Iran.

Supreme Court of British Columbia Justice Heather Holmes set the date of the first hearing in the extradition process, which is expected to drag on for months or even years, after an agreement was reached between prosecutors and Meng’s defence team.

Meng, who was arrested on December 1 at the request of US prosecutors and has been free on bail since Dec. 11, attended Wednesday’s brief hearing in the company of her attorneys, Efe reported.

The bail conditions for Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei, stipulate that she cannot leave her six-bedroom home in Vancouver — one of two properties she and her husband own in that city — except under certain conditions.

During Wednesday’s hearing, one of Meng’s attorneys, Robert Peck, said the case was unusual because of the political implications and even mentioned comments made by US President Donald Trump.

In December, Trump said he would intervene in the case if he felt it was necessary to secure a trade deal with China. Meng’s attorneys have cited those comments in claiming the charges are politically motivated.

Peck also said he would submit motions alleging that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) acted improperly prior to her Dec. 1 arrest at the Vancouver International Airport.

Meng, who had a layover in Vancouver after arriving from Hong Kong, had been planning to continue on to Mexico.

On March 1, Meng’s attorneys sued the RCMP, the CBSA and the Canadian federal government for alleged “serious breaches of her constitutional rights” when she was held for three hours without explanation or access to her attorneys before her arrest.

The civil claim, filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, alleges that Meng suffered “mental distress, anxiety and loss of freedom” when she was detained, searched and interrogated at the Vancouver airport for three hours “under the guise of a routine customs” examination.

Border security agents and a police officer, who allegedly unlawfully seized Meng’s cellphones and computers and obtained passwords, detained the executive “for the express purpose of obtaining information which they and the RCMP and/or (US Department of Justice) did not believe would be obtained if (Meng) was immediately arrested.”

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. is the world’s largest maker of telecommunications and China’s flagship enterprise. Beijing has reacted angrily to the US legal offensive against the company and its executives.

Several Canadians have been detained in China since Meng’s arrest and most of Beijing’s public ire has been directed at Ottawa.

In late January, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fired his country’s ambassador to China after the envoy suggested that the courts in Canada might rule against extradition.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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