A prosecutor investigating Terraform Labs CEO Do Kwon for alleged passport forgery in Montenegro indicated that he will not be extradited immediately. The prosecutor told Korean media that Montenegrin authorities intend to prosecute Kwon within a month, ruling out the possibility of his extradition to another country within the detention period.
Investigation of passport forgery takes precedence over extradition request in Doguon’s case
South Korea’s Yonhap News reported that it may take some time before extradition proceedings against Do Kwon begin, citing the prosecutor in charge of the case of the recently arrested co-founder of Terraform Labs in Montenegro.
Haris Šabotić said in an interview in Montenegro’s capital Podgorica on Monday that it is a priority for the authorities in the small Balkan country to ensure that the judiciary declines crimes that occurred within Montenegro’s jurisdiction.
Šabotić is in charge of the local investigation against Kwon for alleged document forgery. The CEO of the failed stablecoin terrausd and cryptocurrency luna company was detained on March 23 while attempting to board a plane to Dubai using a fake Costa Rican passport.
Kwon Do Hyun, full name in Korean, disappeared after leaving for Singapore in April 2022, just before the collapse of the two coinust and terra. He then allegedly fled to Serbia, where he registered a new office, but eventually ended up in neighboring Montenegro.
The prosecution noted that the alleged forgery is the subject of an ongoing investigation and denied earlier media reports that Kwon had already been indicted; after 72 hours of initial detention, the Montenegrin court extended this measure to 30 days.
Furthermore, Haris Chavotić noted that the goal is to prosecute Kwon within that period.” He added, “We don’t know how the situation will develop after the indictment, but what is clear is that there is no possibility of the detainee being handed over for 30 days.
South Korea, the United States, and Singapore are all trying to take Kwon into custody. Shabotich declined to elaborate on the case, saying it is not up to the prosecutors to decide on the request, but stressed that the investigation of the forged passport case is a priority, saying:
Only after the prosecution of this case is over can we move on to the next step!
We are not interested in the extradition issue.
According to Montenegrin law, Do Kwon could face up to five years in prison if convicted of forging official documents. In an interview at the regional prosecutor’s office in Podgorica, Šabotić said, “If you file a complaint within 30 days, the court will decide.” Kwon is currently being held at the Spužu detention center near the Montenegrin capital.
Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons, Yonhap News Agency.