Former FTX Boss Denied Bail in the Bahamas

A judge in the Bahamas has refused bail for Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder and former boss of the bankrupt crypto exchange FTX. According to the most recent sources, he will be detained by Bahamian authorities following his arrest on 12 December, 2022.

Joyann Ferguson-Pratt, the judge in the case, has scheduled an extradition hearing for 8 February, 2023. The hearing was arranged in response to the decision to deny the former FTX boss bail.

Ex-FTX boss in court

During the hearing, the attorney for the former FTX boss asked the judge whether SBF might be released on a $250,000 bond. The lawyer argued that his release is required since he requires daily medication.

Prosecutors in the Bahamas resisted the proposal, claiming it violated a treaty with the United States. The attorneys also stated that defendants should be imprisoned while extradition procedures were underway under the treaty provisions.

Bankman-Fried notified the judge that he would not forgo his right to contest the extradition. He then hinted that he could desire to stay in the Bahamas on purpose.

Bankman-Friend, wearing a blue suit without a tie, dropped his head and hugged his parents when the judge ruled that his danger of flight was "very severe". The judge ordered him to be detained in the Bahamas until 8 February.

Allegations on FTX boss

After the Royal Bahamas Police was informed of a secret indictment by US prosecutors, they arrested SBF on Monday. The arrest was sparked by an unsealed indictment which included eight charges against SBF. These included conspiracy and wire fraud, for allegedly abusing billions of dollars in client payments before his cryptocurrency empire's stunning collapse last month.

Furthermore, the SEC, CFTC, and the US Department of Justice filed complaints against Bankman-Fried on Tuesday for suspected securities and commodities fraud. Bahamas government officials are conducting civil and criminal investigations against him and FTX.

The day's events concluded a remarkable fall from grace for SBF, who created a fortune worth more than $20 billion as he rode a cryptocurrency boom to grow FTX into one of the world's largest exchanges.