The long-drawn-out case towards the Thodex crypto change had 21 defendants.
16 defendants have been acquitted of “certified fraud” for lack of proof.
The CEO, Faruk Fatih zer, and his two siblings acquired the best sentencing.
A Turkish court docket sentenced Faruk Fatih zer, the previous CEO of the crypto change Thodex, to 11,196 years in jail for “establishing, managing, and being a member of a company,” “certified fraud,” and “laundering of property values.”
Based on the Turkish state-run information company Anadolu Company, the Anatolian ninth Excessive Prison Court docket condemned zer, collectively along with his two siblings, to the identical jail time period of 11,196 years, 10 months, and 15 days, in addition to a $5 million high-quality.
The collapse of Thodex
Earlier than it dramatically collapsed in 2021, the Turkish cryptocurrency change was one of many greatest buying and selling platforms for digital belongings within the nation. With out warning, the change stopped the operations of its buying and selling platform, and the founder, zer, left Turkey with $2 billion price of cryptocurrencies belonging to shoppers.
Earlier than being extradited to Turkey in April 2023 on allegations of fraud and cash laundering, the fugitive founder was apprehended in Albania in August 2022 whereas serving a jail sentence. Apparently Zer was already in jail since July for failing to show in tax information, however his most up-to-date conviction was for deceiving purchasers.
The cryptocurrency change’s founder whereas defending himself in court docket argued that he and his household are the victims of injustice. He stated that Thodex was only a failed cryptocurrency agency with no dangerous motives.
5 of the 21 defendants within the protracted case towards the cryptocurrency change Thodex really confirmed up in particular person for the court docket session. Because of a scarcity of proof, the court docket exonerated 16 defendants of “certified fraud” and ordered the discharge of 4 others. Based mostly on their participation within the rip-off, the opposite defendants within the case got sentences of varied severity.
