- Do Kwon will face trial in Montenegro on allegations of possessing false documentation before any extradition can take place
- Kwon was allegedly found in possession of false Costa Rican and Belgian passports
- The trial and any prison sentence would delay extradition, possibly by years
Do Kwon will face trial in Montenegro for using a fake passport before any extradition will be considered, according to his lawyer. Kwon was arrested at the country’s Podgorica Airport last week trying to board a plane to Dubai with forged Costa Rican and Belgian passports, and the country’s justice minister has suggested that Terraform Labs CEO may spend time in jail before any extradition battle between South Korea and the U.S. can begin.
Extradition May Take Years
Kwon was arrested last Thursday trying to leave the country having spent some months residing in its neighbor, Serbia. According to Montenegrin lawyer Vojislav Zečević, the trial for Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon’s use of forged personal documents must be concluded before he can be extradited to other countries. The prosecutor investigating the case stated this week that the extradition process is likely to be some time away since Montenegrin judicial authorities intend to prosecute him.
Zečević added that he plans to challenge the court’s decision to extend Kwon’s pre-trial detention. Kwon was initially detained for 72 hours, but a local court prolonged the detention to 30 days due to flight risk concerns and the need to first verify his identity.
“Very Intriguing” Laptop Data May Add to Case Against Kwon
Although Kwon’s lawyer maintains that the Costa Rican passport was authentic, the question over the fraudulent Belgian passport is a further complicating issue. Investigators discovered three laptops and five mobile phones belonging to Kwon that contained a significant amount of “very intriguing” data, according to Montenegrin Interior Minister Filip Adžić, which may add to the case against him.
