Legal proceedings in Nigeria are progressing in the case of Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance executive who has been held since February by the country’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to a spokesperson for the family, Gambaryan’s legal team conducted cross-examination of an EFCC witness on July 2. The charges of money laundering have been filed against Gambaryan and another Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla. Anjarwalla managed to escape custody in March and reportedly fled to Kenya.
The trial for Gambaryan is set to continue on July 5, although his family has expressed concerns about his deteriorating health during the 128 days of detention. Gambaryan has suffered from double pneumonia and malaria, along with aches and pains in his foot and back.
In response to the situation, Yuki Gambaryan, Tigran’s wife, has been in contact with officials from the U.S. State Department and U.S. Embassy in Abuja. She has also been communicating with Binance staff and lawyers involved in the EFCC case.
Yuki mentioned that initially, the response from the U.S. Government was slow, but efforts have increased recently. She emphasized the need for a resolution between Binance and Nigerian authorities without compromising her husband’s well-being.
Initially, Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were charged with tax evasion and money laundering when they visited Nigeria as representatives of Binance. Anjarwalla fled to Kenya, facing possible extradition back to Nigeria. The tax evasion charges were dropped by Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service, but the money laundering case is still ongoing.
Numerous U.S. officials and individuals following the case have criticized Nigerian authorities for holding the two executives accountable for the company’s alleged actions. U.S. Representatives French Hill and Chrissy Houlahan visited Gambaryan in Kuje Prison, urging authorities to drop the charges and release him on humanitarian grounds.
In efforts to bring her husband back to the U.S., Yuki Gambaryan started a petition that had garnered 4,879 signatures at the time of publication. The petition aims to reach the U.S. State Department, President Joe Biden, the EFCC, and the Nigerian government.
In other news, a phishing scam targeting Hedera users and a $70,000 scam involving an address poisoner were reported in the Crypto-Sec magazine.