Binance Executive Tigran Gambaryan Files Lawsuit Against Nigerian Government
In Brief
Binance’s executive Tigran Gambaryan filed a lawsuit against Nigeria’s NSA and EFCC for violation of personal rights.
Binance‘s financial crime compliance chief, Tigran Gambaryan initiated legal action against Nigeria’s National Security Advisor (NSA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The lawsuit accuses them of infringing upon his freedoms and seeks judicial intervention.
In a parallel development, Nadeem Anjarwalla, who held the position of African regional manager for Binance and was arrested with Gambaryan, has lodged a similar legal challenge. Anjarwalla escaped from Nigeria the previous week and may now be facing an international arrest warrant.
TJ Krukrubo, a prominent Nigerian attorney, has made a case for violating constitutional rights due to the seizure of Gambaryan’s international travel document, arguing it unjustly limits his freedom. Krukrubo is advocating for the court to order the passport’s return and secure Gambaryan’s release. Moreover, Gambaryan is demanding safeguards against future detentions related to ongoing investigations and is seeking an official apology from the involved agencies.
Gambaryan, who holds American citizenship, stated he visited Nigeria with a colleague on February 26 in response to an invitation from the NSA and EFCC to address pertinent issues related to Binance. He emphasized that his participation in the meeting was lawful and that he was not informed of any criminal accusations before his arrest.
“The government’s insistence on obtaining information from Binance and imposing requirements on the firm is the only justification for his detention,” TJ Krukrubo remarked.
The judicial review of this case is postponed to April 8, pending a decision.
Binance Faces Nigerian Government Scrutiny Over Local Currency and Tax Matters
The Nigerian authorities have expressed concerns over the detrimental effects of Binance’s peer-to-peer (P2P) trading service on the Nigerian naira (NGN), implicating the service with potentially adverse impacts on the nation’s currency. The government has also flagged the cryptocurrency platform for possible involvement in money laundering activities since February.
At the government’s behest, Gambaryan and Anjarwalla traveled to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, to discuss the matter and subsequently removed the NGN P2P trading options from their service. However, after they met with Nigerian officials, they were detained on government premises for an extended period exceeding three weeks.
The Nigerian government has recently brought forward four charges against Binance, including accusations of failing to pay value-added tax, corporate income tax, neglecting to file tax returns, and facilitating customer tax evasion through its service.
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Alisa is a reporter for the Metaverse Post. She focuses on investments, AI, metaverse, and everything related to Web3. Alisa has a degree in Business of Art and expertise in Art & Tech. She has developed her passion for journalism through writing for VCs, notable crypto projects, and scientific writing. You can contact her at alisa@mpost.io
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Alisa is a reporter for the Metaverse Post. She focuses on investments, AI, metaverse, and everything related to Web3. Alisa has a degree in Business of Art and expertise in Art & Tech. She has developed her passion for journalism through writing for VCs, notable crypto projects, and scientific writing. You can contact her at alisa@mpost.io
