Tigran Gambaryan, a senior executive at Binance, is facing ongoing imprisonment in Nigeria as his bail hearing has been rescheduled for May 17. The Abuja court has ordered this delay and will only address his bail once his trial on money laundering charges begins.
Gambaryan, an American and former Internal Revenue Service agent, currently serves as Binance’s head of financial crime compliance. On February 26, he and Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s regional manager for Africa and a UK-Kenyan citizen, were detained upon their arrival in Abuja. They were scheduled to meet with Nigerian officials, a meeting requested by the Nigerian government.
Initially, the Nigerian government accused Binance of facilitating currency speculation that negatively impacted the Nigerian naira. While Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were initially not declared under arrest, their situation quickly changed to house arrest and, within a month, escalated to formal charges of money laundering and tax evasion.
After Anjarwalla mysteriously fled Nigeria, Gambaryan was transferred to the notorious Kuje prison, which is known for housing suspects linked to the Boko Haram group. In a video message recorded after his colleague’s departure, Gambaryan expressed his unawareness of Anjarwalla’s plans and appealed for intervention from the U.S. government.
The response to Gambaryan’s detention from the U.S. has been minimal, with the U.S. embassy staff visiting him only once since his relocation to Kuje prison. His access to legal representation remains severely restricted.
Gambaryan’s wife, Yuki Gambaryan, has publicly criticized her husband’s treatment, considering it unjust and cruel. She expressed her ongoing distress and anxiety over her husband’s fate as he approaches his 40th birthday in confinement.
In a countermove, both Gambaryan and Anjarwalla have filed lawsuits against Nigeria’s National Security Advisor and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, accusing them of human rights violations. Despite the serious charges, Gambaryan maintains his innocence and pleads not guilty.
The trial for the money laundering accusations is scheduled to begin on May 2, with the tax evasion charges being handled separately starting on May 17. During a recent court session, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission argued against granting bail to Gambaryan, citing the flight risk demonstrated by Anjarwalla’s escape and an alleged attempt by Gambaryan to obtain a new passport after his original one was seized.
The prosecution emphasized the potential danger of releasing Gambaryan, highlighting his lack of ties to any community in Nigeria and the risk of him following Anjarwalla’s footsteps. On the other hand, Gambaryan’s defense argued that there is no credible evidence justifying his continued detention and emphasized the lack of concrete proof linking Gambaryan to any planned escape or wrongdoing.
