Three years after the flight, the fugitive cryptocurrency developer Riccardo “Fluffy Pony” Spagni was handed over to South Africa and appeared in court this week.
On the eve of a deportation hearing in the United States on May 25, Spagni waived his rights and agreed to work with authorities. According to the treatise, Spagni is a dual citizen of South Africa and Italy.
He was first arrested in South Africa on September 13, 2012 and faced 400 accusations related to fraud, counterfeiting, and speech, including R1,453,561.47. He fled South Africa in March 2021.
The accusation is related to fraudulent transactions allegedly committed while hired as Information Technology Manager for Cape Cookie from October 2009 to June 2011. Spani is alleged to have intercepted claims from other companies regarding the information technology products and services provided to Cape Cookies.
After a lengthy investigation, a trial began in the Cape Town District Court in August 2019, about seven years after the 2012 arrest. Spagni pleaded not guilty to his indictment and did not explain his plea.
Documents from the Western Cape High Court show that Spagni and his wife entered the United States on April 14, 2021.
On Tuesday, Western Cape spokesman Eric Ntabazarilah of the National Public Prosecutor’s Office said Spani had handed over to US authorities after a successful application for delivery.
“Spagni was arrested in the United States on July 21, 2021 at the request of a provisional arrest. South Africa subsequently sought this transfer from the United States.
“Spagni has launched a variety of unsuccessful applications in the Western Cape High Court to resist his deportation. His deportation hearing in the United States scheduled for May 25, 2022. On the eve of, the accused waived his rights and agreed to cooperate with the authorities, “Ntabazalila said.
South Africa has extended agreements with Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Canada, China, Egypt, India, Israel, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Swaziland, United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
Handing over is a long process, as explained by Dr. Omnimetse Sibanda, a professor of law at the University of Limpopo and executive dean of the Faculty of Law. In this opinion piece..
This lengthy process and the attempt by the Deputy Prosecutor’s Office (DPP) in the Western Cape to return Spagni to South Africa are outlined in a communication sent by the Deputy Prosecutor’s Office to the International Bureau of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in August 2021. It has been. Washington DC office work.
Spagni appeared in the Cape Town District Court on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The discussion focused on the validity of the arrest warrant and whether Spagni was on warning or on bail.
A judgment will be made on Friday. DM
