Nigerian authorities have dropped charges against Tigran Gambaryan, head of financial crime compliance at Binance, citing his ill health as the reason for discontinuing the case.
Tigran Gambaryan, a former U.S. federal agent and Binance executive, had been detained since February on allegations of money laundering and currency manipulation. The Nigerian government decided to drop the charges due to his deteriorating health.
Earlier this month, a Nigerian court rejected Gambaryanβs appeal for bail. His lawyer argued that bail was necessary for him to receive medical treatment for a herniated disk and other health issues, including malaria and pneumonia. Mark Mordi, Gambaryanβs lawyer, emphasized that his client requires surgery not available within the prison system.
βHis condition is deteriorating, and the required surgery is not available within the prison system,β
The legal troubles for Gambaryan and his colleague, British-Kenyan Nadeem Anjarwalla, began when they were detained by Nigerian authorities during a visit to the country. While Anjarwalla managed to escape to Kenya in March, Gambaryan was held at the Kuje correctional center in Abuja. U.S. lawmakers have criticized his detention, calling it βunlawful.β
Binance has publicly advocated for Gambaryanβs release, asserting that his visit was not in a decision-making capacity for the company. The exchange also alleged that Nigerian officials requested a βsecretβ payment to resolve the issue, a claim that Nigeria has firmly rejected.
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