NEW YORK, Oct 26 (Reuters) – Lawyers for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried kicked off their case at his fraud trial on Thursday following 12 days of prosecution testimony in which former colleagues at the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange said he directed them to divert customer funds to his hedge fund and lie to investors and lenders.
Bankman-Fried was expected to testify in his own defense after his lawyers called two other witnesses, his lawyer Christian Everdell said in court outside the jury’s presence. The first two defense witnesses called were Krystal Rolle, Bankman-Fried’s lawyer in the Bahamas, and database expert Joseph Pimbley.
For Bankman-Fried, taking the stand is a risky move that would give…
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