Sam Bankman-Fried Will Take the Stand in His Own Defense

FTX laminitis Sam Bankman-Fried volition attest successful his transgression trial, straight appealing to jurors successful his bid to beryllium helium did not perpetrate fraud oregon conspire to perpetrate fraud astatine his once-giant cryptocurrency speech FTX, his defence attorneys said during a Wednesday teleconference.

The determination comes arsenic his defence squad prepares to statesman calling witnesses aft prosecutors spent 3 weeks laying retired their statement that Bankman-Fried defrauded FTX's customers and Alameda Research's investors, and conspired with his chap executives to fell his crimes and proceed misusing those funds.

Those executives, including Caroline Ellison, Nishad Singh and Gary Wang, testified against him aft pleading blameworthy to assorted crimes of their own, with the defence mostly mounting seemingly unimpressive cross-examinations successful their bid to sow uncertainty astir the spot of the witnesses' testimony.

Now, Bankman-Fried is going to picture his mentation of events to the 12 jurors and six alternates who volition beryllium asked to determine if he's blameworthy beyond a tenable doubt.

The defence squad besides intends to telephone PF2 Securities subordinate Joseph Pimbley to attest successful Bankman-Fried's favor.

While the U.S. Department of Justice indispensable beryllium that Bankman-Fried really met the statutory requirements of the antithetic crimes he's accused of beyond a tenable doubt, the defence lone has to beryllium Bankman-Fried not blameworthy to that standard.