Nadeem Anjarwalla, a dual citizen of Britain and Kenya who is employed at the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, has reportedly been apprehended in Kenya after escaping from Nigeria in March.
According to various reports from Kenyan news outlets on April 22, local law enforcement arrested Anjarwalla and there is a possibility that he may be extradited to Nigeria to face criminal charges. Anjarwalla allegedly evaded custody in Nigeria on March 22 by using his Kenyan passport to flee the country after being taken to a mosque for prayer.
Cointelegraph was unable to independently verify the reports of Anjarwalla’s arrest in Kenya. He initially traveled to Nigeria in February alongside fellow Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, following allegations that the exchange had manipulated Nigeria’s fiat currency, the naira. Both individuals were detained by authorities after Binance announced its decision to halt all naira transactions.
The method by which Anjarwalla fled Nigeria remains unclear. Some reports have suggested that he was able to board a plane out of Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, using his Kenyan passport, as only his UK travel documents were confiscated by authorities.
In Anjarwalla’s absence, Nigerian officials have proceeded with charges against Binance and Gambaryan. Anjarwalla has pleaded not guilty to charges of tax evasion and money laundering, and the case was brought back to court on April 19 after a brief adjournment.
Gambaryan’s wife has initiated a petition to have him returned to the United States, asserting his innocence and claiming that he was manipulated by others. Binance has stated that Gambaryan had no decision-making authority within the company and requested that he not be held accountable for the exchange’s actions in Nigeria.
Changpeng Zhao, the former CEO of Binance, is anticipated to receive his sentence in the United States on April 30 in a separate case, after pleading guilty to a single felony charge. He could potentially face up to 10 years in prison.
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