The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the detention of Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of Binance, at the Kuje Correctional Centre after pleading not guilty to money laundering charges leveled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday.
Gambaryan, who is the company’s head of financial crime compliance, appeared before the court on Monday to face the charges brought against him by the EFCC. Despite pleading not guilty, he was remanded in custody until the court decides on his bail application.
The EFCC accused Gambaryan of involvement in money laundering activities, prompting the legal proceedings initiated against him. However, the scheduled arraignment faced a setback on Thursday as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) encountered difficulties in serving the charges on the defendants.
Moses Ideho, representing the FIRS, acknowledged the challenges encountered in serving Gambaryan with the charges due to his custody under the EFCC, highlighting the necessity of serving the second defendant before proceeding with the arraignment process.
In response to the situation, Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the case to determine whether the arraignment could proceed in the absence of proof of service. The court’s decision will have significant implications for the legal proceedings against Gambaryan and Binance.
Recall that earlier, Gambaryan and his colleague were detained by the federal government after they flew to Nigeria in response to the country’s recent crackdown on various cryptocurrency trading platforms and seized their passports.
The court also granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) an order to remand them for 14 days initially, which was later extended by another 14 days due to Binance’s refusal to comply with court orders, thereby adjourning the case until April 4, 2024.
According to reports, Anjarwalla escaped from the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague were being held on Friday, as guards on duty escorted him to a nearby mosque for prayers during the ongoing Ramadan fast.
Anjarwalla, who is British, is believed to have left Abuja using a Middle East airliner.
Chioma Kalu
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