Montenegro’s former Justice Minister Andrej Milović has raised critical issues in regards to the potential hyperlink between the extradition of Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon and Montenegro’s airport concession cope with South Korea, native information outlet Vijesti reported on Sept. 24.
Milović alleged that Prime Minister Milojko Spajić shifted his stance on a 30-year concession for Montenegro’s airports, utilizing Kwon’s extradition as leverage to safe the settlement with South Korea.
Do Kwon, arrested in Montenegro in March 2023 whereas trying to journey with falsified paperwork, is needed for his position within the collapse of TerraLuna, which prompted international monetary losses of roughly $40 billion. Each South Korea and the US have requested his extradition.
Political connections
Milović, who can be a candidate within the upcoming native elections in Podgorica to change into the town’s mayor, voiced his issues in a latest media assertion.
He claimed that Spajić initially favored granting the concession to France however modified his place after the Court docket of Appeals dominated that Kwon ought to be extradited to South Korea.
Milović mentioned:
“Spajić was notably happy when the courtroom dominated in favor of Kwon’s extradition. Shortly after, he started talking positively in regards to the South Korean supply for the Airports of Montenegro, regardless of beforehand favoring the French bid.”
He additional alleged that Spajić has private ties to the case, referencing stories that Spajić invested $75,000 in Terra/Luna tokens, instantly linking him to Kwon’s collapsed crypto challenge.
Montenegro’s President Jakov Milatović and former Prime Minister Dritan Abazović have additionally accused Spajić of hiding his connections to Kwon regardless of a number of documented conferences between the 2.
Milović warned that extraditing Kwon to South Korea would forestall a full investigation into the matter and known as for the US to stress Spajić into cooperating with broader inquiries. He added:
“By extraditing Kwon to South Korea, we threat dropping essential details about the case and the involvement of key Montenegrin leaders.”
Kwon’s authorized saga
Kwon’s extradition has sparked a geopolitical debate, with each South Korea and the US looking for to deliver him to trial. Since his arrest, courts in Montenegro have been deliberating over which nation to extradite him to, with the method spanning a number of months on account of issues.
A number of choices made by courts and the federal government to extradite him to the US and South Korea had been later overturned by greater courts or the appellate courtroom.
He was most lately set to be extradited to South Korea after a ruling by the Court docket of Appeals in early August, however the Supreme Court docket issued an order to postpone the method a number of days later to find out if the ruling was unlawful.
The ultimate determination on Kwon’s extradition now rests with Justice Minister Bojan Božović. The end result is predicted to have vital political and financial penalties for Montenegro, notably concerning its strategic infrastructure and relations with worldwide companions.