March 30, 2023 12:43
Cryptocurrency fraudster Do Kwon will first have to stand trial in Montenegro for traveling on a false passport before he can be extradited to Korea or another country, his lawyer said Wednesday.
Vojislav Zecevic told Yonhap News on Tuesday that the Terraform Labs founder's trial for using a forged passport "must be completed first" before he could be extradited. Zecevic added that he intends to appeal a court order to extend Kwon's pre-trial detention.
Kwon was arrested on March 23 while trying to board a flight to Dubai using a forged Costa Rican passport. The following day, a Montenegrin court extended Kwon's detention by up to 30 days citing the flight risk and the fact that his identity had not been proven completely.
Kwon's lawyer claims the passport was legitimate, but Bloomberg News reported that a forged Belgian passport was also found in his luggage.
Montenegro's Interior Minister Filip Adžić said investigators found three laptops and five mobile phones belonging to Kwon that contain lots of "very interesting" information.
It remains to be seen where Kwon will be extradited to. U.S. federal investigators have also charged him with defrauding American investors in the collapse of the Luna cryptocurrency, which was linked to a "stablecoin" called TerraUSD that was pegged to the U.S. dollar.
If more than one country files extradition requests, Montenegrin authorities must weigh the seriousness of the crime, location of the offense, filing date of indictment and nationality of the suspect.
The lawyer said Kwon is "doing well" in prison and has no physical or mental difficulties.
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