Spy Movie In Real Life: How Terra Founder Do Kwon's Golden Passport Scheme Crashed And Burned

Terra founder Do Kwon refuted allegations of possessing a counterfeit passport during a court session in Montenegro, claiming that the Costa Rican passport in question was procured via a Singapore agency.

In the court, Kwon was quoted as, “We applied for these passports through an agency recommended to me by friends whom I respect. It would be hard to believe that a person about whom so much is known would agree to travel with a fake passport… trying to take a private plane from Podgorica would be tantamount to suicide.” 

Kwon was apprehended at Montenegro's Podgorica Airport in March while attempting to embark on a private jet bound for Dubai. The arrest occurred when airport security raised doubts about the legitimacy of his Costa Rican passport.

Kwon defended himself in court by mentioning that he believed he was part of a “golden passport” program, a fast-track citizenship plan for substantial investors.

He named several countries, including Grenada, Portugal, Dubai and Montenegro, as proponents of similar programs and mentioned that he shelled out €250,000 for the Costa Rican passport.

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However, Costa Rica's citizenship by investment program requires a considerable residency period before a foreigner is eligible for a passport, as stated on the country's tourism website.

DL News quoted Goran Rodic, the legal counsel for both Kwon and Han Chang-Joon, his co-defendant and erstwhile business associate, said his clients elaborated on their statements in court while maintaining their innocence.

According to Kwon, both the Costa Rican passports and Belgian identity cards were acquired through an agency in Singapore.

He asserted that they had no cause to question the validity of the documents or the agency's intentions. Han's passport is also reported to have been obtained via Kwon, as per Montenegro’s public broadcaster RTCG.

Following the court session, Kwon and Han were escorted back to prison, even though bail had been granted the previous day.

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