PRESIDENT Joe Biden has reached out to thank President Bola Tinubu for the release of Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of Binance Holdings, who was on trial in Nigeria for alleged money laundering and currency speculation.
During a press briefing at the State House in Abuja yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar revealed that the two leaders also discussed potential areas for partnership and cooperation, particularly regarding security in Africa, with a focus on West Africa.
Tuggar provided an overview of the thirty-minute phone call President Tinubu received from Biden.
“The two leaders exchanged greetings, and President Biden expressed his gratitude to President Tinubu for his cooperation, particularly in relation to law enforcement collaboration between our two nations and the release of one of the suspects associated with the cryptocurrency exchange, Binance,” he stated.
“President Biden also extended his condolences regarding the recent flooding in northeastern Nigeria and emphasized his appreciation for President Tinubu’s leadership in securing the humanitarian release of American citizen and former U.S. law enforcement official Tigran Gambaryan last week,” according to a statement from the White House.
The minister affirmed that due process was observed in the release of the Binance executive.
Last week, the Federal Government dropped all charges against Gambaryan after several months of trial for alleged money laundering. The charges against him, which stemmed from his detention since April, were dismissed on health grounds.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel announced the withdrawal of the charges before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The EFCC lawyer stated that Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen, was merely an employee of Binance and should not be held accountable for the company’s broader financial activities.
Mark Mordi, Gambaryan’s counsel, supported the prosecution’s position, asserting that his client was not involved in Binance’s larger financial dealings.
