15 July 2022 – 17: 23
High-flying crypto developer Riccardo Spagni, left, poses with Paris Hilton and others in Miami, in accordance with a tweet from TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington on June 6 2021.
Image: @arrington/Twitter
Fraud-accused crypto developer Riccardo Spagni became launched from custody on a warning by the Cape City regional court on Friday.
The 39-three hundred and sixty five days-weak, also customarily known as “Fluffy Pony” went from flying all around the US in a chartered jet and rubbing shoulders with the likes of Paris Hilton in Miami to being locked up in the infamous Pollsmoor penitentiary. Police nabbed him when he landed at OR Tambo World Airport on Monday.
A warrant for his arrest became issued after he left for the US in March 2021 in the heart of a fraud trial in Cape City regional court. Spagni allegedly defrauded a Cape City biscuit manufacturing change, Cape Cookies, of R1.4m. Cape Cookies employed him as their IT supervisor between 2009 and 2011.
On Tuesday, the regional court investigated Spagni’s failure to attend the trial on April 7 2020. Earlier than he left the country the trial had been postponed several times on yarn of his physician mentioned he became at “an especially high risk of life-threatening complications will fill to he be infected by the Covid-19 virus”.
But social media posts of him in the US thrust him into the spotlight. In an affidavit, investigating officer Steven Pritchard expressed shock at seeing Spagni partying with out a veil.
“I therefore searched the obtain and figured out that [Spagni] attended a crowded Bitcoin convention in Miami with celebrities [including Paris Hilton] between June 4 and June 5 2021,” the affidavit reads. “This regarded in a photograph and [he] became not carrying a veil.”
Spagni became arrested in Nashville, Tennessee, in the US on July 21 2021 after SA authorities requested for his “provisional arrest” pending a formal extradition demand. He became on his manner to Mexico by deepest charter jet on the time of his arrest.
The prosecution and Spagni’s lawful group butted heads over whether he will fill to be launched from custody pending his trial or not. Spagni, who described himself as a self-employed businessman in an affidavit, claimed he became not warned to appear in court on the date in question.
“My failure to appear in court became by no fault of my salvage,” the affidavit reads.
“I verify that the reveal sought my extradition from the US. I first and most most fundamental opposed the extradition on the premise that the reveal delayed the topic, and by manner of the regulation of the US, after 60 days of not receiving an extradition demand, I could perchance perchance perchance be launched. When I became launched, I returned to SA voluntarily below conditions the establish my liberate on warning had not been cancelled and the reveal needed to extinguish it.”
Spagni argued that the court had not cancelled his liberate on a warning and that the reveal had not sought to fill it annulled.
“I’m going to not proceed SA,” his affidavit reads.
Announcing goodbye to a cherished pet is rarely straightforward. The day old to this became a in any case not easy day for us, but she lived a staunch, prolonged life. We miss her. https://t.co/hodVW760rs
— Riccardo “el pony esponjoso” Spagni (@fluffypony) March 2, 2022
“I’m going to not change my address without cheap sight to the investigating officer. I’m going to not endanger the public’s safety and safety. I’m going to not construct any threats of violence in direction of anyone. I abolish not fill any resentment against anyone or harbour any resentment against any individual.
“My family ties are within the jurisdiction of this honourable court and I, as a result of this fact, don’t fill any procedure of evading my trial. I’m in a field to tear in affirm to attend every and every court look. I’m going to not intimidate any witnesses in the case against me. I’m going to not cloak or shatter any evidence in the case against me.”
Magistrate Nokwanda Simelela launched Spagni on a warning. He’ll be again in court on Tuesday.
TimesLIVE