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Montenegrin Justice Minister: Do Kwon Extradition Sought by US, South Korea

by Predrag Milic

   PODGORICA, MONTENEGRO --

   Authorities in Montenegro say the United States and South Korea have
   asked the Balkan nation to extradite South Korean Terraform Lab founder
   Do Kwon, who is suspected in those countries of cryptocurrency fraud
   amounting to more than $40 billion.

   "Two Koreans wanted by South Korea, Do Kwon and the company's chief
   financial officer, Han Chang-joon, were detained when they attempted to
   cross the state border with passports that are reasonably suspected of
   being forged," said Montenegrin Justice Minister Marko KovaÄ at a news
   conference Wednesday, stating that the United States also requested the
   extradition of Do Kwon from Montenegro.

   Through diplomatic channels

   KovaÄ said that "a meeting was held with the diplomatic representatives
   of the Republic of Korea at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
   Ministry of Justice of Montenegro, after which a petition for the
   extradition of these two persons was handed over by the Republic of
   Korea, while the extradition of Do Kwon was also requested by the U.S."

   "The U.S. requested the extradition of Do Kwon through diplomatic
   channels, in the same way that a temporary arrest was requested," said
   KovaÄ, adding that both countries also requested the equipment found
   with the detained.

   After their detention at the Podgorica airport, the District
   Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation of the criminal offense
   of falsification of documents, after which they were detained for 72
   hours, and ordered to spend 30 days in custody.

   Montenegro to decide extradition hearing date

   "The High Court in Podgorica will decide when these persons will have a
   hearing in the extradition proceedings," KovaÄ said.

   He added that in the event of multiple requests for extradition from
   several different countries, the seriousness of the crime, the locality
   where the crime was committed, the order of receiving the requests for
   extradition as well as other circumstances will be considered.

   KovaÄ said that if the suspects are convicted of falsifying
   identification documents, it is expected that only after they have
   served their prison sentence will they be extradited.
   According to Montenegro's criminal code, falsifying personal documents
   is punishable by up to five years in prison.

   This story originated in the VOA Serbian service.