Sam Bankman-Fried does not support the prosecutors’ request to permit a Ukraine-based FTX customer to provide remote testimony in the upcoming criminal trial, scheduled to commence on Tuesday.

In a court submission made on Saturday, the prosecutors sought approval from Judge Lewis Kaplan to include witness testimony through a two-way video teleconference.

However, Bankman-Fried’s defense explicitly stated that they do not consent to this arrangement.

The individual in question, referred to as “FTX Customer-1” by prosecutors in their filing, is a young male located in Ukraine, CNBC reported.

He suffered significant financial losses, having entrusted a substantial portion of his life savings to FTX when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

FTX Customer-1 is unable to leave Ukraine due to the country’s wartime regulations, which prevent men deemed fit for combat from exiting.

While it is possible for him to seek a special exemption from Ukrainian authorities to leave the country, prosecutors estimate that the travel time would be approximately three days each way, necessitating a complex route through an ongoing conflict zone.

Both the spokesperson for the prosecutors and Bankman-Fried’s media representative declined to comment on the matter.

The federal prosecutors contend that testimony from international witnesses is crucial in comprehending the global scope and impact of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange.

Written by staff