The saga of the imploded cryptocurrency exchange JPEX continues to develop as Taiwanese prosecutors have reportedly found new alleged suspects.
The Taipei District Prosecutors Office (TDPO) requested Chang Tung-ying, the chief partner at JPEX’s office in Taiwan, be held in custody over alleged fraud, the local TV channel TVBS News reported on Nov. 9.
Taipei prosecutors reportedly searched nine locations related to the JPEX investigation and summoned Chang and three other alleged suspects. The authorities identified Chang and JPEX lecturer Shih Yu-sheng (also called Shi Yu) as suspects in the case for violating the Banking Act and the Money Laundering Control Act.
Other defendants were released, including JPEX salespersons Liu Chien-fu and Niu Keng-sheng. According to the report, Liu was released on bail of 50,000 new Taiwan dollars ($1,550), while Niu, a registered person in charge of JPEX Taiwan, was released after questioning.
The report also noted that Nine Chen, a Taiwanese celebrity and singer who once represented JPEX as a brand ambassador, was also summoned by prosecutors. Prosecutors reportedly named Nine Chen as a defendant after initially calling him to testify as a witness.
Once a successful crypto exchange, JPEX abruptly halted some services in mid-September 2023, citing a liquidity crisis triggered by “unfair treatment” from several institutions in Hong Kong. The abrupt implosion fueled allegations about JPEX misleading investors by claiming to have applied for a crypto trading license and other issues.
Related: JPEX scandal won’t hurt Hong Kong crypto vision: Financial Secretary
JPEX quickly became the center of a major scandal in the industry. Hong Kong authorities launched an investigation after receiving over 2,000 complaints from JPEX users reporting nearly $180 million in losses. The implosion of JPEX has become a significant concern for financial regulators in Hong Kong, Taiwan and other countries, with many authorities initiating new measures to protect investors from losses due to similar incidents.
As of Sept. 25, law enforcement has arrested at least 11 alleged suspects in the JPEX case, while the alleged masterminds are still at large.
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