PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th October, 2020) Russian citizen Alexander Vinnik, accused of money laundering, wants to be heard and understood during the trial, which began in Paris on Monday, his lawyer Frederic Belot said.
"He very clearly told the court that he was ready to answer questions, while during the investigation, on the advice of lawyers, he remained silent. And today he fully expresses his position," Belot told reporters following the first day of the court sitting.
During a hearing on Monday, Vinnik said he had nothing to do with the Locky malware, which inflicted damage upon 200 individuals and companies. The Russian has denied all charges against him of extortion and money laundering through the BTC-e cryptocurrency platform. He also noted that he was only an operator on the BTC-e cryptocurrency exchange.
Vinnik told the court that he had no professional education, but "has computer knowledge." He answered in the negative when the judge asked whether he could create a computer program.
"Alexander Vinnik made it very clear that he did not know anything about the Locky virus before arriving in France, before being questioned by an investigator ... He tried to work as an operator on BTC-e," the lawyer said.
