Sam Bankman-Fried, the CEO of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is reportedly seeking to reverse a decision to extradite him to the United States. The U.K. courts had previously ruled that Bankman-Fried should be extradited to face charges of money laundering and wire fraud.
However, Bankman-Fried has now filed an appeal against the decision in the High Court of Justice in London. According to his legal team, the extradition request is “politically motivated” and the charges against him are “unjust and oppressive.”
Background on the Case
Bankman-Fried, who is a dual U.S.-U.K. citizen, was arrested in the U.K. in January 2021 on an extradition warrant issued by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ alleges that Bankman-Fried and his company, FTX, were involved in a scheme to launder millions of dollars through cryptocurrency transactions.
The U.S. authorities claim that Bankman-Fried and FTX processed transactions on behalf of drug traffickers and other criminal organizations, and that they failed to implement proper anti-money laundering controls.
Bankman-Fried has denied any wrongdoing and has maintained his innocence throughout the legal proceedings. His legal team has argued that the charges against him are baseless and that the extradition request is an attempt to silence him and his company.
Appeal Process
According to reports, Bankman-Fried’s appeal will be heard by a panel of three judges in the High Court of Justice. The judges will consider the arguments made by Bankman-Fried’s legal team and will decide whether or not to overturn the previous ruling on his extradition.
If the appeal is successful, Bankman-Fried will not be extradited to the U.S. to face charges. If the appeal is unsuccessful, he could be forced to return to the U.S. to stand trial.
It is not clear at this time when the appeal hearing will take place or how long it will take for a decision to be reached.
Sam Bankman-Fried, the CEO of FTX, is reportedly seeking to reverse a decision to extradite him to the United States on charges of money laundering and wire fraud. Bankman-Fried has filed an appeal in the High Court of Justice in London, claiming that the charges against him are “unjust and oppressive” and that the extradition request is “politically motivated.” The appeal will be heard by a panel of judges, who will decide whether or not to overturn the previous ruling on his extradition.