Huawei 'covered up' Iran business operations: report

Huawei 'covered up' Iran business operations after 2013 exposé: report

The new revelations could bolster criminal proceedings against Huawei and its chief financial officer.

2 min read

03 June, 2020

Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada in December 2018 [Getty]

telecommunications firm attempted to cover up its relationship with a "third-party" that tried to sell prohibited US computer technology to , according to reports.

Huawei acted to cover up links between its and the Skycom Tech Co Ltd following a Reuters report in 2013.

The technology giant has long referred to Skycom as a separate local business partner in Iran, however, newly-released internal documents from Huawei show that it effectively controlled the smaller firm.

The documents reveal how Huawei scrambled to distance itself from Skycom due to US trade sanctions on Iran.

This included switching managers, closing its Tehran office, and setting up a separate business to take over Skycom's multi-million dollar contracts.

The new revelations come amid ongoing US criminal proceedings against Huawei and its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou.

Wanzhou, who is the daughter of Huawei's owner, was arrested in December 2018 in Canada.

Despite American prosecutors' efforts to have her extradited to the US, a Canadian judge ruled last week that the case can continue in Canada.

Huawei and Meng are accused of taking part in a fraudulent scheme to obtain prohibited US goods and technology for Huawei's Iran-based company, as well as transferring money out of Iran through deception.

A US indictment alleges that Skycom was an "unofficial" subsidiary of Huawei.

Huawei and Meng, who are both subjects of the criminal prosecution, have denied the criminal charges against them.

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