Binance, which remains embroiled in a crypto crackdown in Nigeria, has formally requested the authorities to release its detained executive, Tigran Gambaryan.
This plea comes a week after the company was charged with tax evasion.
Binance said Gambaryan, a former US Agent, ‘has no decision-making power in the company and should not be held responsible while discussions are ongoing between Binance and the Nigerian government.’
Gambaryan, along with Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s Regional Manager for Africa based in Kenya, was detained upon their arrival in the country to address the issue of the company’s restricted website access. The office of Nigeria’s national security adviser (NSA) reported that Anjarwalla fled the country using a smuggled passport.
Recently, both executives filed a human rights violation suit at the Federal High Court of Nigeria. They petitioned the office of the NSA and Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to release them, return their passports, and issue a public apology.
REGULATION | Detained Binance Executive, Tigran Gambaryan, Sues Nigerian Authorities, Wants Release and Apology
“The only reason for his detention is because the government is requesting information from Binance and making demands on the company. The Applicant is not a member… pic.twitter.com/xYLB468qSc
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) March 29, 2024
In the suit, Gambaryan said that the federal government is employing his prolonged detention ‘as leverage to continue making demands on Binance.’
According to Binance, Gambaryan, who heads Binance’s Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) team and was recruited in 2021 to address the cryptocurrency giant’s compliance concerns, has collaborated with Nigerian law enforcement previously. He provided valuable information that aided in combating fraud and money laundering activities, amounting to approximately $400,000.
Gambaryan’s team organized several training sessions for Nigerian law enforcement officials, focusing on the role of exchanges within the digital asset ecosystem, Binance said.
Gambaryan has been in detention for five weeks now. Last week, the Nigerian government levied tax evasion charges against Binance and initiated efforts to secure an international arrest warrant for Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s regional manager for Africa, who escaped custody.
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