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Binance Executive Escapes Custody in Nigeria
One of the Binance executives detained in Nigeria has reportedly escaped custody, as per local media reports. The regional manager for Africa, Nadeem Anjarwalla, managed to flee the guest house in Abuja where he and the exchange’s Head of Financial Crime Compliance, Tigran Gambaryan, were being held.
Anjarwalla, who holds citizenship in both Britain and Kenya, is said to have utilized his Kenyan passport to board a flight on a “Middle East airliner” after being taken to a nearby mosque for Ramadan prayers by the guards. While his final destination remains unknown, it has been disclosed by an immigration official cited by Premium Times. Anjarwalla had surrendered his British passport, which he used to enter Nigeria, to the authorities upon detainment. It is believed that he used his access to telephones at the guest house to orchestrate his escape, leaving behind Gambaryan who remains in detention.
Detention and Investigation Details
The duo was initially detained in February without facing criminal charges. Nigerian authorities were investigating cryptocurrency exchanges at the same time. Pursuant to a court order, Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, was granted permission to detain Anjarwalla and Gambaryan for a period of 14 days. Following this, a hearing was conducted in mid-March to extend the court order.
As a component of the probe, Nigeria has requested Binance to furnish details regarding its top 100 users in the country along with their transaction history spanning the past six months. Additionally, Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has pressed charges of tax evasion against Binance, Anjarwalla, and Gambaryan. The charges encompass allegations such as non-payment of VAT, Company Income Tax, failure to file tax returns, and failure to register with the FIRS for taxation purposes. The exchange is also accused of aiding customers in evading taxes.
Decrypt has endeavored to reach out to both Binance and the FIRS for their comments on the matter. This article will be updated should any responses be provided.
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