0
0
Binance Executive Takes Legal Action Against Nigerian Government
A Binance executive named Tigran Gambaryan, who was detained in Nigeria, has taken legal action against the government for violating his fundamental human rights. According to a report by Punch, Gambaryan, who serves as Binance’s Head of Financial Crime Compliance, has filed a motion with the Federal High Court in Abuja. He is seeking a declaration that the seizure of his passport goes against Nigeria’s constitution. Gambaryan has also requested that the Office of the National Security Advisor (ONSA) and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) apologize for his detention.
The Circumstances Surrounding the Detention
Gambaryan stated that he was in Nigeria at the invitation of the ONSA and EFCC to discuss Binance’s activities within the country. He emphasized that he did not commit any offense during the meeting and was not provided with written notice regarding any alleged offense he may have personally committed in Nigeria. He believes that the government’s sole reason for detaining him is to gather information from Binance and impose demands on the company.
Earlier this week, Gambaryan’s colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s regional manager for Africa, managed to escape custody and leave the country. Anjarwalla, who holds citizenship in both Britain and Kenya, handed over his British passport to Nigerian authorities but supposedly utilized his Kenyan passport to board a flight operated by a Middle Eastern airline. He, too, has filed a similar lawsuit to that of Gambaryan.
Legal Issues and Investigations
As part of the investigation, Nigeria has asked Binance to furnish information concerning its top 100 users in Nigeria and their transaction histories from the last six months. Separately, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has levied charges of tax evasion against Binance, Gambaryan, and Anjarwalla.
Gambaryan, who previously served as a special agent for the IRS, assumed the role of VP of Global Intelligence and Investigations at Binance in 2021. During his tenure at the IRS, he was involved in various high-profile investigations, including those related to the Russian crypto exchange BTC-e, the Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox hack in 2014, and a case involving a corrupt DEA agent who stole significant amounts of Bitcoin from Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht.
Image/Photo credit: source url
