Last August, the CEO of the Korean virtual asset custody company Haru Invest, identified as Lee, was attacked with a knife by a 51-year-old victim surnamed Jiang during a court hearing. This incident occurred amidst accusations that Haru Invest had misappropriated digital assets valued at approximately $826 million from over 16,000 users. Today, during the final hearing, Jiang was charged by South Korean police with attempted murder and disturbing the court, with a request for a heavy sentence of 10 years in prison.
(Background: Haru Invest CEO attacked in court by victim over alleged misappropriation of $826 million)
(Context: New revelations about Haru, the Korean custody platform! Partner B&S Holdings has had zero income for two years and negative assets)
Lee Hyungsoo, the CEO of Haru Invest, which has been accused of misappropriating digital assets valued at approximately $826 million from over 16,000 users and was detained and prosecuted for fraud by South Korean authorities last February, was attacked with a knife by Jiang during a court appearance last August. The attack resulted in multiple stab wounds to his neck, causing severe bleeding, and he was subsequently rushed to the hospital. Jiang was arrested by the Seoul police following the incident.
South Korean police request a 10-year prison sentence from the court
As of today, there have been new developments in the case. According to The Block, the Seoul police have taken into account the severity of the knife attack. In today’s final hearing regarding the “weapon attack case,” they requested the court to impose a heavy sentence of 10 years in prison on Jiang for attempted murder and disturbing the court, citing that “the crimes in this case are severe and the methods employed are evil.”
However, Jiang’s defense attorney stated in court that the significant economic losses led Jiang to an emotional outburst, resulting in his impulsive crime. The attorney further argued that Jiang’s actions should be considered as aggravated assault rather than attempted murder. It is understood that Jiang lost 100 bitcoins in this “Haru incident,” which is approximately equivalent to $8.3 million at current prices.
Furthermore, the verdict will be announced at 10:30 AM local time in South Korea on April 4.
Haru Invest declared bankruptcy last November
According to previous reports, Haru Invest’s products promised annual returns of up to 16% for deposits made in bitcoin, ether, or USDT, attracting a large number of users. Established in South Korea and headquartered in Singapore, the platform claimed on its official website to have around 80,000 members across 140 countries and to manage assets exceeding $2 billion.
However, in June 2023, Haru Invest suddenly suspended deposits and withdrawals, placing the blame on its partners, which caused panic among customers. Authorities quickly prohibited the company’s executives from leaving the country and launched an investigation, leading to the formal detention and prosecution of three executives under the Specific Economic Crimes Aggravated Punishment Act for fraud in February of last year. Prosecutors alleged that the three had stolen approximately 1.1 trillion Korean won (around $826 million) in cryptocurrency from about 16,000 users.
Subsequently, Haru Invest also declared bankruptcy in November of last year.
