◀ Anchor ▶
Dohyeong Kwon, CEO of Terraform Labs, the main culprit behind the collapse of the cryptocurrency Terra and Luna, appeared in court in Montenegro.
The Montenegrin court extended the detention period from 72 hours to a maximum of 30 days, saying that Kwon was at risk of fleeing.
Hearings related to the extradition requested by both Korea and the United States have been decided to proceed after the local trial on charges of using counterfeit passports.
Correspondent Jo Myung-ah reports from Paris.
◀ Report ▶
A man wearing a gray tracksuit and a black cap was handcuffed behind his back as he entered the courtroom.
Kwon Do-hyung, CEO of Terraform Labs, the main culprit in the collapse of the virtual currency Terra Luna, appeared for a hearing in the Podgorica court in the capital of Montenegro.
One of the aides of CEO Kwon, dressed in black, also attended the court with his head bowed.
Prosecutors in Montenegro handed over Kwon, who was previously arrested for trying to board a plane with a forged passport, on trial for forgery of official documents, and applied for an extension of the detention period ahead of the expiration of the 72-hour detention period.
After the hearing, the Podgorica court extended the detention period of Kwon and his aide to up to 30 days.
Local media in Montenegro reported that the court made the decision, saying, “Mr. Kwon is a foreigner residing in Singapore, at risk of flight, and his identity is not clear.”
Representative Kwon’s lawyer filed an application for avoidance of the judge, saying, “I did not provide a Korean interpreter,” but the court reportedly rejected it, saying that it respected the legal rights of Kwon, who could understand English, by providing an English interpreter.
As the Montenegrin authorities directly proceed with the judicial process of Kwon, Kwon is expected to stand before the Montenegrin court first, rather than Korea or the United States.
Foreign media observed that after Kwon’s trial on the charge of forgery of public documents in the country, he will receive a hearing related to the extradition request.
This is Cho Myeong-a from MBC News in Paris.
Video coverage: Lee Yu-kyung (Paris) / Video editing: Song Ji-won
