LAST UPDATE | 14 Feb 2020
THE US JUSTICE Department has filed new criminal charges against Chinese tech giant Huawei and two of its US subsidiaries.
Federal prosecutors announced that the company is accused of a plot to steal trade secrets.
The indictment was announced by prosecutors in Brooklyn who had previously accused the company of bank fraud.
The case was unsealed as the Trump administration is raising national security and surveillance concerns about Huawei, the world’s largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer.
Last week, it was reported that US President Donald Trump was “apoplectic” with rage at UK prime minister Boris Johnson over the country’s decision to allow Huawei into its 5G network.
The US had warned the move would jeopardise intelligence sharing as it raised concerns over the telecommunications company’s links to the Chinese state.
In recent years, Huawei has become a major investor in Ireland. Last August, the company announced a €70 million investment in research and development across Cork, Dublin and Athlone.
A spokesperson for the company in Ireland said: “This new indictment is part of the Justice Department’s attempt to irrevocably damage Huawei’s reputation and its business for reasons related to competition rather than law enforcement.”
“These new charges are without merit and are based largely on recycled civil disputes from last 20 years that have been previously settled, litigated and in some cases, rejected by federal judges and juries. The government will not prevail on its charges, which we will prove to be both unfounded and unfair.”
With reporting from Conor McCrave and Dominic McGrath
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