- Do Kwon has claimed that he didn’t know his passport was fake
- Kwon said at a hearing that he has traveled the world on the passport so it can’t be illegitimate
- Kwon faces prosecution or extradition to the US or South Korea
Do Kwon has offered his first rebuttal of claims that he used a fake passport to try and leave Montenegro by claiming that he didn’t know it was fake. Kwon, who has been in Montenegran custody since March, claims that he has traveled the world with the same passport and could not have done so were it illegitimate. The claim came during a recent hearing over the Montenegran charges against him which could see him spend time in prison in the country before being extradited to the US or South Korea.
Kwon Was Rejected Grenada Passport
Kwon took part in a hearing on June 16 at the Podorica District Court in Montenegro’s capital, where he explained that he received the fraudulent Costa Rican passport in question through an agency in Singapore “recommended by a friend.” He added that had he suspected it was fake he would never have tried to use it, and of course he has a point: if the passport in question is the one Kwon has used to travel the world then there is no way it could be fake. This means that the passport in question is different from the one he normally uses or he’s lying.
The Terraform Labs CEO also revealed that he tried getting a Granada passport but was rejected, although he couldn’t remember the name of the agency he used when asked, saying he only knew it was Chinese.
The allegations against Kwon also state that he was also in possession of a Belgian passport when he was arrested, which led to prosecutor Harris Chabotich saying that the fact that Kwon had two passports with different names and different dates of birth made it clear that they “were created with bad intentions” and asked the court to “punish it appropriately.”
Another Six Months Inside?
Kwon’s time inside the Montenegran justice system has been somewhat controversial, with his $400,000 bail application being granted before being denied and then re-approved.
In a manner reminiscent of the battle for MtGox laundered Alexander Vinnik, the US and South Korea are both vying for Kwon’s extradition upon his release from Montenegro, whenever that might be, and there have been recent suggestions that Kwon’s custody could be extended by six months while the authorities decide on their, and Kwon’s, next move.
