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Huawei has pleaded not guilty to a handful of charges which accuse the company of trade-secret theft, fire fraud and obstruction of justice in US federal court in Seattle. The company was found guilty of stealing T-Mobile trade secrets in 2017 and was ordered to pay $4.7 million. The company could face a similar fine in this new trail with a minimum fine of $5 million or three times the value of the trade secret in question.
After the not guilty pleas, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez set the trial date for March of 2020.
While Huawei hs a full year to prepare for this particular case, the company is also bracing for the potential extradition of Meng Wanzhou to the US after she was arrested in Canada in December. Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou who is wanted in the US for bank fraud charges pertaining to company transfers which violated US sanctions against Iran.
Canada’s deadline to decide if they will begin extradition proceedings expires today. Canada will likely approve the US extradition request later today.
Huawei is currently the number two smartphone maker in the world, even without an official presence within the US. While most people know Huawei for their smartphones, the company’s cellular infrastructure is the main issue US government agencies have taken issue with due to Huawei’s close ties to the Chinese government.
Source: AP News
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