FTX chief Bankman-Fried could accept extradition from Bahamas

FTX chief Bankman-Fried could accept extradition from Bahamas

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is led away handcuffed by police in Nassau, Bahamas on December 13, 2022
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is led away handcuffed by police in Nassau, Bahamas on December 13, 2022. Photo: Mario Duncanson / AFP
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Celebrate South African innovators, leaders and trailblazers with us! Click to check out Women of Wonder 2022 by Briefly News!

Cryptocurrency tycoon Samuel Bankman-Fried could accept extradition to the United States to face charges over the multi-billion dollar collapse of his FTX group when he appears in court Monday in the Bahamas, according to US and local media.

Bankman-Fried, once the wunderkind of the global digital currency world, may reverse his position last week to fight extradition when he attends a hearing in Nassau at around 11:00 am (1600 GMT).

Last week the US Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission filed criminal and civil charges against the one-time crypto billionaire and media star, alleging that he cheated investors in FTX and misused funds that belonged to FTX customers.

FTX's spectacular rise from 2019 to being a leading player in the virtual currency industry based in the Bahamas ended dramatically in November when the company and its sister trading firm Alameda Research collapsed into insolvency.

Read also

Rio ex-governor to be freed after 6 years in jail over corruption

Bankman-Fried was arrested at his Nassau apartment one week ago at the request of federal prosecutors in New York.

He was charged in the United States with eight counts including conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering and election finance violations.

PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly News on your News Feed!

Separately the SEC accused him of violating securities laws.

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.