Key facts
- A US judge ruled that admissions made by Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou can be used against the company in its criminal trial.
- Meng acknowledged lying to a financial institution about Huawei's compliance with sanctions and export control law.
- The admissions were part of a 2021 deal to dismiss criminal charges against Meng.
- US District Judge Ann Donnelly stated that Huawei adopted Meng's statement and could not object to its use.
A US judge has ruled that admissions made by Huawei Technologies CFO Meng Wanzhou can be used against the company in its upcoming criminal trial. The ruling, filed in Brooklyn federal court, allows prosecutors to present Meng's 2021 statement of facts, in which she acknowledged misleading a financial institution about Huawei's compliance with sanctions and export control laws related to its business in Iran.
US District Judge Ann Donnelly stated that Meng's admissions were admissible, asserting that Huawei should not be able to object to the use of its senior executive's statement, which the company had adopted. The judge rejected Huawei's argument that the company was entitled to remain silent despite Meng's statement and found it unnecessary for Huawei to question her at trial.
Meng Wanzhou, who is Huawei's CFO, made the admission as part of a deal to dismiss the criminal charges she faced in the case. A Huawei spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.