The family of detained Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, who is facing money laundering charges in Nigeria, says “he can no longer walk”.
They have once again, asked the Nigerian government’s permission for his release due to health concerns.
In a statement sent to Nairametrics on August 26, 2024, the family stated that Gambaryan has been in detention for six months and is now suffering from severe pain due to a herniated disc in his back, while allegedly being denied access to “appropriate medical care” in Nigeria.
EFCC’s Case against Binance, its executives
Nairametrics reports that the Nigerian government had accused Binance and its executives, Tigran Gambaryan and the fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla, of allegedly conspiring to conceal the origin of financial proceeds from their unlawful activities in Nigeria, including $35,400,000.
- It is important to recall that on July 30, 2024, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Abraham Ehizojie, a medical doctor at the Kuje Correctional Centre, for failing to produce Gambaryan’s medical report or appear in court.
- Nairametrics previously reported that Justice Nwite had ordered the Nigerian Correctional Service doctor to produce the medical reports of Tigran Gambaryan, warning the correctional service against non-compliance with the court’s directives.
- This order came after Gambaryan’s lawyer drew attention to his health challenges, as he had once appeared in court in a wheelchair.
EFCC counsel, Ekene Iheanacho, informed the judge that he expected the medical officer to be in court to address the proceedings at the time.
The judge also ordered that Gambaryan be taken to Nizamiye Hospital for a 24-hour medical checkup, under full security, at any time of his choosing.
The case was adjourned to October 11, 2024, for the continuation of the trial.
What the family is saying
In a statement sent to Nairametrics on Monday, the family’s communication agency, Mondo-Advisory, noted that August 26, 2024, marks six months since Tigran Gambaryan, a former U.S. federal agent and Binance employee, was detained by Nigerian authorities.
He was remanded based on an order of court.
The statement alleged that from July 26th to August 14th, 2024, Tigran’s lawyers were not allowed to enter the prison to visit him and prepare for his trial, a situation it states, violates the Nigerian constitution.
“In detention, he has been denied access to appropriate medical care and is now in so much pain from a herniated disc in his back that he can no longer walk. As he is bed-bound, he is forced to take blood thinners to avoid blood clots, and the prison doctor has stated that his muscles have atrophied. They were allowed a brief 5-minute visit on August 15th but have since been blocked from entering again.
“The U.S. Embassy also no longer has access to Tigran, as he is not allowed to use a wheelchair and cannot physically walk to the visitor area,” the statement partly reads.
The statement further revealed that an application was made to have the case heard during the recess (though Justice Nwite’s court is sitting as a vacation court), and it was approved, with the next hearing date now set for September 2, 2024.
Tigran’s wife, Yuki, seized the moment to urge the government to release her husband.
“It has been six months since I last hugged my husband and since our children last held their father’s hand.
“Tigran Gambaryan, my husband, a former U.S. federal agent, has now been detained in a Nigerian prison for half a year. His health is deteriorating to the point where he can no longer walk, and he is being inhumanely denied the use of a wheelchair.
“For six months, our living nightmare has been filled with pleas. Pleas to the U.S. government, pleas to the Nigerian government, pleas to the media, pleas to anyone who will listen. I am pleading for their mercy, their understanding, and their humanity. My husband is innocent and needs to be released before it is too late and the damage done to him is irreversible. Six months is too long; please help me bring my husband home,” she stated.
More Insights
A director from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had told the court that the Binance platform became a reference point for determining Nigeria’s exchange rate.
- The SEC is a Federal Government agency that handles the registration of all capital market stakeholders, instruments to be traded on the market, and all trading platforms.
- In addition, the SEC makes rules and regulations for the capital market, conducts investigations, enforces compliance, and monitors the market.
- Nairametrics reports that a popular method of buying and selling crypto is through Peer-to-Peer (P2P) transactions, which function like a marketplace where buyers and sellers are connected.
- Binance and its executives are facing two separate suits by the FIRS and EFCC; the former concerning tax evasion, and the latter involving money laundering and foreign exchange contraventions.
- The FIRS has discharged the executives from its case against Binance.
- Nairametrics recalls that the executives also filed a fundamental rights case against agencies of the Nigerian government, citing violations of their constitutional right to liberty.
On February 28, Nigerian authorities detained two senior Binance executives: Nadeem Anjarwalla, a 37-year-old British-Kenyan who serves as the regional manager for Africa, and Tigran Gambaryan, a 39-year-old American who is the head of financial crime compliance at Binance.
However, Gambaryan’s family raised alarms over his health while urging the EFCC to free him and pursue its case with Binance.