World
Computer scientist claiming invention of Bitcoin faces criminal investigation in UK
Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist who has long claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, is under criminal investigation in the UK for alleged perjury.
According to a Reuters report, Wright faces charges after a judge found him to have repeatedly lied and fabricated documents to support his claims.
The 54-year-old has filed lawsuits around the world, including the US and UK, asserting his role as Bitcoin’s inventor. This culminated in a recent London High Court case.
The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) took Wright to court to prevent him from suing Bitcoin developers and to preserve the open-source nature of the world’s best-known and most popular cryptocurrency.
In March, Justice James Mellor ruled that evidence against Wright’s Satoshi claims was “overwhelming.” A May written judgment further stated that Wright had lied “extensively” and produced “large-scale” forgeries throughout the case.
On Tuesday, the judge issued a further ruling, referring Wright to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to determine “whether a prosecution should be commenced” for perjury and document forgery.
Mellor also requested the CPS consider whether a warrant for his arrest should be issued and/or whether his extradition should be sought from his current location.
The judge said Wright’s current whereabouts remain unknown. Justice Mellor noted in his ruling, “The evidence shows Dr Wright has left his previous residence in Wimbledon (London) and appears to have left the UK.
Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.
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