South African Court Releases Former Monero Developer Riccardo Spagni From Custody – Regulation Bitcoin News

Riccardo spagni (ex-Monero leader maintainer) was recently released by a South African regional court. A report said that the decision came only days after Spagni was arrested by local police officers. Spagni aka Fluffypony had told the court before his release that he’d returned to South Africa on his own initiative and that he wasn’t a flight threat.

US Judge Grants Motion for Spagni’s Extradition

Reports have revealed that a South African magistrate ruled recently to free Riccardo, the fraud-accused Monero leader developer, from custody. The magistrate’s decision to release Spagni came just days after he was arrested and taken into custody when he landed at the OR Tambo International Airport.

According to Bitcoin.com News, Spagni, a U.S. agent, was taken into custody in Nashville, Tennessee, on 21 July 2021. Spagni was arrested at the request of the South African government. Spagni remains in U.S. custody until completion of extradition.

Spagni was initially reported to have refused extradition to South Africa. Alistair E. Newbern, a U.S. magistrate, granted Spagni’s motion to extradite him on June 30. The United States magistrate judge Alistair E. Newbern granted him a motion for extradition. He then allowed his transfer to South Africa, where he arrived reportedly on July 11.

Spagni’s Covid-19 Explanation

A Soweto Live report stated that the prosecution had opposed the release of the Monero former developer. Steven Pritchard, an investigator, signed an affidavit explaining why Spagni was not present at court due to concerns about Covid-19.

“I subsequently searched the internet and discovered that [Spagni]Celebrities attended the crowded Bitcoin Convention in Miami [including Paris Hilton]It was between June 4th and June 5th 2021. The photo shows this in the following: [he] was not wearing a mask,” Pritchard reportedly said in his affidavit.

In response to the prosecution’s arguments, Spagni insisted in his own affidavit that he was not to blame for his alleged non-appearance at scheduled court hearings. The former Monero developer confirmed he initially resisted being extradited and that he chose to return to South Africa “voluntarily under circumstances where my release on warning had not been canceled and the state had to cancel it.”

Spagni then explained to the court why Spagni was being released with a warning. Spagni, as per the Soweto Live Report, is likely to be back in court on July 19.

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Terence Zimwara

Terence Zimwara was a Zimbabwe award-winning journalist and writer. His writings have covered the economic problems of several African countries and how digital currency can offer an escape route.