Tigran Gambaryan, head of Binance's financial crime department, will remain in Kuje prison in Nigeria until at least May 17. Gambaryan has been in custody in Nigeria since February 26, facing charges of money laundering and tax evasion, which his family calls «bogus» charges..
Detained Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan will remain in jail in Nigeria until at least May 17 after an Abuja court ordered to postpone a scheduled bail hearing until he is tried on money laundering charges.
Gambarian, a US citizen and former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) special agent, is Binance's head of financial crimes enforcement.. He and his colleague, Binance Africa Country Manager Nadeem Anjarwalla, a British and Kenyan citizen, were arrested and detained on February 26 after flying to the Nigerian capital Abuja to meet with the Nigerian government on a Government Request.
The Nigerian government has previously accused Binance of allowing currency speculation that led to the collapse of its currency, the naira.. Nigerian officials initially denied that Gambarian and Anjarwalla were under arrest, but upon arrival the pair were placed under house arrest and a month later, along with Binance, they were charged with money laundering and tax evasion.
Gambarian was transferred to the notorious Kuje Prison, where suspected members of the Boko Haram terrorist group are also being held, after Anjarwalla escaped and left the country under mysterious circumstances.. In a cellphone video taken after Anjarwalla's escape on March 23, a frustrated Gambaryan said he knew nothing about his colleague's escape plans and asked the U.S. government for help.
The government's reaction to Gambaryan's imprisonment was lukewarm. According to his family, US Embassy officials have visited Gambaryan only ONE since he was transferred to Kuje Prison, and he has limited access to his legal team.
“There is no justice in what they are doing to my husband.. “I am in a constant state of grief and anxiety, not knowing what other injustice he will have to endure,” said Gambaryan’s wife Yuki Gambaryan. “It is outrageous that Tigran, an innocent man, continues to be held in a prison cell without his bail being decided until after his trial… This is just pure cruelty.”
Both Gambarian and Anjarwalla filed a lawsuit against Nigeria's National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for violating their Human rights.
Gambaryan has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him, which his family has called “fictitious.”
The money laundering trial against Gambaryan and Binance will begin on May 2. Tax evasion charges will be dealt with separately starting May 17.
According to Gambaryan's family, he will spend his 40th birthday in prison.