Following the Montenegro Appeals Court’s decision to reject the extradition requests for Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon, the panel from the Appeals Court has nullified the latest decision by Podgorica’s High Court to extradite Kwon to either South Korea or the United States. This ruling implies that Kwon will remain in Montenegro, as the matter has been sent back to the court of first instance.
Legal Twist Keeps Terraform Labs' Co-Founder Do Kwon in Montenegro, Appeals Court Questions Extradition Grounds
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Court Flaws Halt Extradition of Terraform Labs’ Do Kwon, Case Sent Back for Review
Terraform Labs co-founder and ex-CEO, Do Kwon, is off the hook for extradition to either the U.S. or South Korea, at least for now. On Feb. 7, 2024, the Montenegro Appeals Court announced a verdict overturning the earlier decision by Podgorica’s High Court that had approved the extradition.
“Deciding on the appeal of the defense of the accused, the panel of the Appeals Court assessed that this decision was affected by significant breaches of the provisions of the criminal procedure under Article 386, Paragraph 1, Points 8 and 9 of the Criminal Procedure Code, because the decision’s wording is incomprehensible, the decision lacks reasons for the decisive facts, and the given reasons are unclear, which constitutes grounds for its annulment,” the court notice declares.
Montenegro police apprehended Kwon, alongside the former financial officer of Terraform Labs, Han Chang-joon, at Podgorica airport for using counterfeit travel documents. Just three days ago, Montenegro authorities announced that the financial officer had been extradited to South Korea.
Regarding Kwon, the Appeals Court highlighted that the first-instance court did not accurately determine whether the Republic of South Korea or the United States of America had first issued the extradition request for him. Kwon is up against multiple criminal allegations in the U.S., encompassing wire fraud, commodities fraud, securities fraud, and charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and manipulate the market. In South Korea, Kwon’s criminal charges are also related to financial fraud and market manipulation.
What do you think about the Appeals Court in Montenegro overturning the extradition request for Do Kwon? Share your thoughts and opinions about this subject in the comments section below.
