The Supreme Courtroom of Enchantment (SCA) has dismissed a bid by South African crypto developer Riccardo Spagni to have his extradition from the US to SA on fraud expenses declared unlawful.
Spagni, identified in tech circles as “Fluffypony”, is a former lead maintainer for privacy-focused cryptocurrency Monero.
He was extradited from the US to South Africa in July final yr after he waived his proper to an extradition listening to.
Earlier than he surrendered to US marshals to be put in a airplane again dwelling, Spagni launched overview proceedings within the Western Cape Excessive Courtroom, arguing that the extradition request was unlawful.
Spagni’s authorized crew had argued that the director of public prosecutions was the fallacious individual to submit an extradition request.
That software was dismissed with prices in April 2022. He flew again to SA roughly three months later to face trial in a case that dates again to 2011.
The Nationwide Prosecuting Authority has accused Spagni of defrauding a baking firm 12 years in the past of round R1.4 million by submitting falsified invoices. Spagni has pleaded not responsible to the costs.
After the preliminary overview bid was dismissed, Spagni’s attorneys appealed to the SCA.
Whereas the appearing director of public prosecutions within the Western Cape contended that the problem was “moot” – Spagni had in any case agreed to be extradited – Spagni argued the court docket ought to nonetheless determine the case.
The SCA dominated this week that, in mild of the truth that Spagni was legally represented when he waived his rights to an extradition listening to within the US, he couldn’t now problem the validity of the extradition request.
“It discovered that the appellant had didn’t make out a case for this court docket to find out the validity of his extradition course of as that might haven’t any sensible impact,” the court docket mentioned in a abstract of its ruling. “The attraction was thus dismissed on mootness alone.”
Spagni’s fraud trial is predicted to proceed within the Regional Justice of the Peace’s Courtroom in Cape City.
