Montenegro’s top court orders another review in the case of cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon
PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Montenegro’s top court said Friday it has overturned a decision to hand over a South Korean mogul known as “the cryptocurrency king” to his native country.
The move marks yet another twist in a months-long legal saga in the case of Do Kwon, the Terraform Labs founder arrested in Montenegro last year.
Both South Korea and the U.S. had requested Do Kwon’s extradition from Montenegro.
Montenegrin courts first had ruled in favor of the U.S. but the ruling was later overturned in favor of South Korea’s request. The Supreme Court said Friday that a lower court should repeat the procedure again and that the final decision lies with Montenegro’s justice minister.
Kwon was charged in the U.S. with fraud by federal prosecutors in New York over a $40 billion crash of Terraform Labs’ cryptocurrency, which devastated retail investors around the world.
Topic: Do Kwon arrested (Read 1495 times)
Breaking News
https://fortune.com/2024/03/23/crypto-fugitive-do-kwon-montenegro-jail-terrausd-terraform-lab/
"South Korean crypto fugitive Do Kwon was released from prison in Montenegro early Saturday as the Supreme Court deliberates on extradition requests from US and South Korea.
“We released Do Kwon from prison as his regular prison term for traveling with fake papers ended,” prison director Darko Vukcevic said by phone. “Since he is a foreign citizen and his documents were withheld, he was taken for an interview to police directorate for foreigners, and they will deal with him further.” "
Will Do Kwon run away from Montenegro?
https://fortune.com/2024/03/23/crypto-fugitive-do-kwon-montenegro-jail-terrausd-terraform-lab/
"South Korean crypto fugitive Do Kwon was released from prison in Montenegro early Saturday as the Supreme Court deliberates on extradition requests from US and South Korea.
“We released Do Kwon from prison as his regular prison term for traveling with fake papers ended,” prison director Darko Vukcevic said by phone. “Since he is a foreign citizen and his documents were withheld, he was taken for an interview to police directorate for foreigners, and they will deal with him further.” "
Will Do Kwon run away from Montenegro?
Most likely, the issue of Do Kwon's extradition will be decided by the Constitutional Court. In my country, this is a very long undertaking, and since the Constitutional Court is very busy, cases can last for years, and if desired, this process can be extended. Stocking up on tons of popcorn 
I'm telling you that in that country (as well as in most Balkan countries) everyone and everything has its price, and Montenegrin (Serbian) politicians are not the brightest when it comes to making enemies. I already wrote that according to Montenegrin law, the US has priority in extradition because they were the first to request it, but some people are obviously too stubborn to understand that. Let them just play smart, but when the US sends them a secret agent Jason Bourne, then they will see who they are kidding 
In the meantime, a little recreation in the Parliament of Montenegro - maybe it's about Do Kwon
In the meantime, a little recreation in the Parliament of Montenegro - maybe it's about Do Kwon
It looks the dodging game has come to an end and the US has won the extradition battle to have Do Kwon tried in an american court according to news from multiple sources.
Not even close:
Two days ago:
Montenegro Court Confirms Crypto Mogul’s Extradition to South Korea
Quote
The Montenegrin Court of Appeals has rejected the appeals of the defence for the fugitive founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency Terra, Do Kwon, and confirmed the previous decision of the Higher Court from March 6, allowing his extradition to his homeland of South Korea instead of the United States.
Then one day ago:
https://cointelegraph.com/news/do-kwon-extradition-montenegro-supreme-court
Quote
In a March 21 announcement, prosecutors said they requested a protection of legality before the Supreme Court of Montenegro following an appeal to stop Kwon’s extradition to South Korea. According to the request, the appellate court violated procedure in rejecting an appeal from Kwon’s legal team. It argued only the Supreme Court had the authority to adopt a legal decision in the case.
If someone has run out of popcorn, go refill cause this ain't over!
And this is just the extradition, wait till the trial begins, then all the delays, then the sentencing, I would say it's better to buy the popcorn by the 100-kilo bag as I don't see this ending this year without a miracle!
According to Bankless, Do Kwon (The founder of Luna/USDT) has been arrested in Montenegro:
https://twitter.com/BanklessHQ/status/1638891838881910785
Founder of UST. Not USDT.https://twitter.com/BanklessHQ/status/1638891838881910785
Almost 1 year of his arrest. I want this man to rot in hell. Lost my life savings in UST.
ha-ha-ha
https://www.theblock.co/post/284071/montenegro-prosecutor-contests-do-kwon-extradition?
Montenegro’s top prosecutor contests Do Kwon’s South Korea extradition
"Montenegro’s Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office said the court’s decision to extradite Do Kwon to South Korea overstepped its authority.
Kwon, behind Terra-Luna’s $40 billion collapse of 2022, was arrested in Montenegro last year."
___
Well, you understand that until Do Kwon’s money runs out, politicians can play this game for a very long time.
https://www.theblock.co/post/284071/montenegro-prosecutor-contests-do-kwon-extradition?
Montenegro’s top prosecutor contests Do Kwon’s South Korea extradition
"Montenegro’s Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office said the court’s decision to extradite Do Kwon to South Korea overstepped its authority.
Kwon, behind Terra-Luna’s $40 billion collapse of 2022, was arrested in Montenegro last year."
___
Well, you understand that until Do Kwon’s money runs out, politicians can play this game for a very long time.
Terra founder Do Kwon will be extradited from Montenegro to South Korea to face criminal charges over the collapse of his crypto enterprise after March 23, his lawyer told CoinDesk.
The legal circus continues, the high court has now made a decision according to which Do Kwon should still be extradited to South Korea after serving his sentence for possession of forged documents. It is not known whether his lawyers will appeal the decision again, but it is known that the US, which is still seeking his extradition, will appeal the decision.
From a legal point of view, the US should have priority in this particular case under Montenegrin law, because the US submitted the request for extradition 1 day before South Korea did.
This is of course very ridiculous, but it seems to me that the issue here is not about justice, but about the hunt for Do Kwon’s money. A lenient sentence in both countries will only be given if he returns all the money to the budget of the country where the trial will take place.
And Montenegro is in no hurry to give the “golden antelope” to other countries
And Montenegro is in no hurry to give the “golden antelope” to other countries
When you see how various criminals pass in front of the US judiciary, you are not surprised that Do Kwon obviously wants to avoid being extradited to South Korea at all costs.
He wants to go to South Korea not the US, his lawyer is actually trying pretty hard to make that happen
https://blockworks.co/news/do-kwon-extradition-troubles
Quote
A declaration from Kwon’s lawyer, Goran Rodić, in Montenegro accompanied the letter filed by the law firm on Monday. He said that the High Court in Montenegro ruled that Kwon should be extradited to the US because it believed that the US was the first to make the extradition request. A fact, he added, that is inaccurate.
There is nothing surprising about this, SK and the USA have a treaty in place, and according to the double jeopardy clauses he will not be chaged in another country if one has already sentenced him for the crime, so he is seeking to go to South Korea because the initial charges were carrying less of a punishment, he is facing 5 years in prison in SK for breaching of capital markets law and up to lifetime for fraud, but in the US he faces two charges (out of 8 counts) for wire fraud, each of them could land him in prison for 40 years while commodities fraud alone can get him another 25, so of course he's betting on not the maximum in SK, gambling on not being convicted on a law that was enacted after his crime happened and being judged on previous terms so no life term.
I would not put an end to this matter. I know that preparation for extradition can last 6 months minimum, and sometimes it takes more than a year. And during this time we will hear a lot more news or Do Kwon’s lawyers will come up with ways to delay this process.
You're not wrong, even the extradition date was not disclosed in the news and the process may take longer than expected. Who knows, Do Kwon's lawyer like you said may still have some tricks up his sleeve to halt the extradition process.
On a personal perspective, I'd like to have him tried in the United States because I believe in his home country he'd easily influence the judicial process than in the United States, but I may be wrong.
The High Court in Podgorica made a decision to extradite Do Kwon to the US, but the problem is that there is currently a political dispute over who is responsible for this extradition - the authorities cannot agree whether the High Court or the Minister of Justice. In addition to all this, his lawyers claim that the decision is illegal and announce a lawsuit - and that speaks for itself - a country where the decisions of the High Court are not respected can hardly be called a country where there is a rule of law.
hahaha. I can't comment on this without laughing.I wrote that Do Kwon has more money than the country’s annual budget, and the authorities, under any pretext, will make sure that Do Kwon stays in Montenegro as much as possible.
If he had stolen a million, he would have been deported to the USA long ago.
The High Court in Podgorica made a decision to extradite Do Kwon to the US, but the problem is that there is currently a political dispute over who is responsible for this extradition - the authorities cannot agree whether the High Court or the Minister of Justice. In addition to all this, his lawyers claim that the decision is illegal and announce a lawsuit - and that speaks for itself - a country where the decisions of the High Court are not respected can hardly be called a country where there is a rule of law.
I would not put an end to this matter. I know that preparation for extradition can last 6 months minimum, and sometimes it takes more than a year. And during this time we will hear a lot more news or Do Kwon’s lawyers will come up with ways to delay this process.
You're not wrong, even the extradition date was not disclosed in the news and the process may take longer than expected. Who knows, Do Kwon's lawyer like you said may still have some tricks up his sleeve to halt the extradition process.
On a personal perspective, I'd like to have him tried in the United States because I believe in his home country he'd easily influence the judicial process than in the United States, but I may be wrong.
It looks the dodging game has come to an end and the US has won the extradition battle to have Do Kwon tried in an american court according to news from multiple sources. The battle of who gets to taste the first sip of the wine has been lingering for a while now between the two nations and the high court of Podgorica in Montenegro has finally reached a verdict on Do Kwon's extradition case.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/terraform-do-kwon-extraditon-united-states-montenegrin-court
I would not put an end to this matter. I know that preparation for extradition can last 6 months minimum, and sometimes it takes more than a year. And during this time we will hear a lot more news or Do Kwon’s lawyers will come up with ways to delay this process. https://cointelegraph.com/news/terraform-do-kwon-extraditon-united-states-montenegrin-court
It looks the dodging game has come to an end and the US has won the extradition battle to have Do Kwon tried in an american court according to news from multiple sources. The battle of who gets to taste the first sip of the wine has been lingering for a while now between the two nations and the high court of Podgorica in Montenegro has finally reached a verdict on Do Kwon's extradition case.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/terraform-do-kwon-extraditon-united-states-montenegrin-court
https://cointelegraph.com/news/terraform-do-kwon-extraditon-united-states-montenegrin-court
~snip~
But the criminal's agreement with the United States is valid only if he returns all the funds to the government. If the violation is discovered even after serving the sentence, the offender will receive a life sentence or more.
And this does not mean that after the trial in the United States, Korea will not stop hunting for Do Kwon.
But the criminal's agreement with the United States is valid only if he returns all the funds to the government. If the violation is discovered even after serving the sentence, the offender will receive a life sentence or more.
And this does not mean that after the trial in the United States, Korea will not stop hunting for Do Kwon.
I have already mentioned the case of the Centra scam and the person who was behind everything, so although it is mentioned that about 100 000 ETH were returned (unofficially), the man completely avoided prison for a fraud of tens of millions of dollars only because he cooperated (put the blame on the associates). Immediately after the verdict, he buys a luxury house, drives luxury cars, and no one asks him where he got the money for all that.
Don't be fooled that the laws apply the same to everyone, because it is more than obvious that everything is a matter of agreement, the ability of lawyers and the lobbying of influential people.
I don’t think that this will be a similar case where the fraudster escapes punishment, otherwise the US judicial system will no longer be respected throughout the world. If there are charges from citizens in the United States, Do Kwon will receive a significant prison sentence. I think that negotiations are underway now, and if Do Kwon is not in a hurry to go to the USA, then his prospects are bad.
~snip~
But the criminal's agreement with the United States is valid only if he returns all the funds to the government. If the violation is discovered even after serving the sentence, the offender will receive a life sentence or more.
And this does not mean that after the trial in the United States, Korea will not stop hunting for Do Kwon.
But the criminal's agreement with the United States is valid only if he returns all the funds to the government. If the violation is discovered even after serving the sentence, the offender will receive a life sentence or more.
And this does not mean that after the trial in the United States, Korea will not stop hunting for Do Kwon.
I have already mentioned the case of the Centra scam and the person who was behind everything, so although it is mentioned that about 100 000 ETH were returned (unofficially), the man completely avoided prison for a fraud of tens of millions of dollars only because he cooperated (put the blame on the associates). Immediately after the verdict, he buys a luxury house, drives luxury cars, and no one asks him where he got the money for all that.
Don't be fooled that the laws apply the same to everyone, because it is more than obvious that everything is a matter of agreement, the ability of lawyers and the lobbying of influential people.
When you see how various criminals pass in front of the US judiciary, you are not surprised that Do Kwon obviously wants to avoid being extradited to South Korea at all costs.
In my assumption, the U.S tends to not handle financial crime cases the way it is handled in some Asian countries. For the United States they look for the best possible scenario, so being able to get Intel on many others involved in the crime or similar ones at the expense of a lighter sentence for the convicted criminal is an easy deal.Some other countries see the prosecutions as a deterrent to others and want to make a public show of the punishments, which should be as stringent as possible.
But the criminal's agreement with the United States is valid only if he returns all the funds to the government. If the violation is discovered even after serving the sentence, the offender will receive a life sentence or more.
And this does not mean that after the trial in the United States, Korea will not stop hunting for Do Kwon.
Yes, it's that documentary - and I avoided watching it for a long time because I don't like stories where criminals get away without any punishment. It's really incredible what a man did without getting any punishment for it.
This is really effed up and people can say that "they got away with it" but that's just how it happens TBH.What I do know is that there were a lot of famous people who promoted that project, and the famous Michael Novogratz tattoo was remembered as one of the dumber moves. Also, not so long before everything went downhill, CZ and his CEX were promoting these tokens/stablecoins as a "safe investment", and accordingly it seems to me that Do Kwon has something to offer the US authorities for some sort of settlement.
This is really getting juicy. More and more people are getting tangled and I now understand why he has to delay it or something to get even a better deal. That claim with the "safe investment" thing is probably nuts to claim and a lot of people believed in it and someone needs to get charged with it. Technically it has been already though, Do Kwon, but who is even bigger? CZ is right but is there something that could stick? We will see now how this goes. Upon researching the documentary, it's entitled "Bitconned". It's now on my watchlist. It seems like an interesting documentary for Bitcoin and also educational purposes.
Yes, it's that documentary - and I avoided watching it for a long time because I don't like stories where criminals get away without any punishment. It's really incredible what a man did without getting any punishment for it.
It can be similar to that situation but is there any known accomplices with Do Kwon that they may try for a bigger fish to catch or something?
What I do know is that there were a lot of famous people who promoted that project, and the famous Michael Novogratz tattoo was remembered as one of the dumber moves. Also, not so long before everything went downhill, CZ and his CEX were promoting these tokens/stablecoins as a "safe investment", and accordingly it seems to me that Do Kwon has something to offer the US authorities for some sort of settlement.
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