The lawyers representing Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of the popular cryptocurrency exchange FTX, have requested his release prior to his trial, citing insufficient internet functionality in his current location. They argue this hindrance threatens to disrupt their case preparation, leading to delays and inadequate access to vital information.
In documents filed with the court on September 8th, the legal practitioner’s team contend that despite assurances from the government that their client would have daily access to a laptop from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., these promises have come up short. It is clear from the documentation provided by the defence team that the disruption to consistent, good-quality internet connectivity has been a recurring issue.
For instance, on September 1st, Sam Bankman-Fried was summoned back to his cell for a headcount at 2:30 p.m., which they assert led to the loss of a substantial four hours of preparation time. On the 6th of the same month, the discrepancy between promised dedicated laptop hours and actual conditions appeared again. Bankman-Fried was unable to leave his cell until 11:00 a.m, and the patchy internet connection let him review only one document from the discovery database.
The legal representatives argue strongly that this situation is untenable. They believe that without a satisfactory solution to the issue of internet access, Mr. Bankman-Fried remains without the opportunity to review and analyse critical documents from the discovery and AWS databases. Consequently, they argue, his inability to prepare for trial will persist under these prohibitive conditions.
The former FTX CEO has been under close watch since his arrest in the Bahamas last December. He was released on a $250 million bond and remained primarily in his parents’ California home until his bail was revoked on August 11. This drawdown in freedoms came after disturbing evidence of witness intimidation and illicit contact with former FTX executives surfaced.
Despite these serious allegations and disturbances, Bankman-Fried’s legal team has appealed multiple times for their client’s pre-trial release. However, the judicial voices responding to such motions contend that he has serially violated bail conditions, hence a sudden release cannot be recommended. Only time will tell how this situation, a blend of legal complexities, high-tech dilemmas, and crypto regulations, will pan out.
Source: Cointelegraph
