Do Kwon to appeal Montenegro detention-extension ruling

CEO of Terraform Labs (TFL) Do Kwon will appeal the Montenegro court’s decision to extend his detention for up to 30 days, according to Arirang NEWS.

The legal representative of the founder of TFL confirmed the intention to file an appeal. According to him, Kwon was not provided a translator, which deprived him of the opportunity to defend himself.

On 24 March was detained at the airport while attempting to fly to Dubai using forged documents. Normally, in Montenegro detention lasts up to 72 hours, but in the case of the head of TFL, the prosecutor cited a high likelihood of flight, so the detention measure was extended.

Hours after the arrest, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office in New York filed charges against Kwon on eight counts. These include conspiracy to commit fraud and market manipulation, securities fraud, and misleading investors.

The Ministry of Justice added that they would strive to secure the extradition of the TFL founder to the United States.

According to Bloomberg, after Kwon’s arrest South Korean authorities began to take an interest in Terraform Labs co-founder Daniel Shin. In December 2022 the court denied the prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant for him, which suspects that he received illicit profits of about ~$105 million from the sale of the pre-mined LUNA.

Following the Terra collapse, South Korean authorities took an interest in the activities of Terraform Labs, and the court issued an arrest warrant for Do Kwon and five others.

In February 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged Terraform Labs and its CEO with orchestrating multi-billion-dollar securities fraud.

Montenegro authorities charged Do Kwon with document forgery. During searches, authorities found a set of fake Costa Rican and Belgian passports.