Judge Emeka Nwite Adjourns Trial to October
By Kaila Hall
On Tuesday, July 16, 2024, Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned1 the money laundering trial of cryptocurrency exchange platform Binance alongside two of its executives. The trial will now occur on October 11 after the Nigerian Court’s federal holiday. Binance’s Head of Financial Crime Compliance, Tigran Gambaryan, and regional African manager, Nadeem Anjarwalla have faced a series of legal charges, for which they have pleaded not guilty.
Following reports of Gambaryan’s deteriorating health, Justice Nwite also issued2 an arrest warrant on Tuesday for Dr. Abraham Ehizojie, the medical doctor at the Kuje Correctional Health Centre where Gambaryan was detained. The Binance executive arrived3 at his Tuesday hearing in a wheelchair. Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mark Mordi, explained that his client has back pain and stated, “We need to be careful of the life in our hands.”4 On July 5, Justice Nwite ordered the release of Gambaryan’s medical report by July 16. However, Dr. Ehizojie refused to provide it to Nigeria’s Federal High Court.
On February 28, 2024, Nigerian officials arrested5 Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s Head of Financial Crime Compliance, and his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla upon their arrival in the country for a meeting on the government ban on cryptocurrency channels. While Gambaryan remained in custody, Anjarwalla fled Nigeria in March. On March 22, 2024, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) filed tax evasion charges against both executives. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also accused Binance of laundering more than $35 million through its platform. Although FIRS dropped6 their tax evasion charges in June, Gambaryan and Anjarwalla continue to face money laundering charges.
The decision to adjourn the money laundering case came just a week after Congressman Richard McCormick and Congressman French Hill introduced House Resolution 1348,7 urging the Government of Nigeria to immediately release Tigran Gambaryan from imprisonment. The resolution also “urges the United States Government to formally declare Tigran Gambaryan as a ‘U.S. citizen wrongfully detained by a foreign government’ pursuant to section 302(a) of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741(a)).”8
In early June, 16 Members of Congress also sent a letter9 to President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, requesting their assistance in releasing Gambaryan. The letter described the “excessive and harsh treatment” that Gambaryan has faced while detained in the notorious Kuje prison on baseless charges by the Nigerian government. Congressmen also noted that he was denied access to his legal team “without the presence of government officials and armed guards.” The Members of Congress called on Biden administration officials to classify Gambaryan as a “U.S. Citizen wrongfully detained by a foreign government,” as defined under the “Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act.”
Kaila Hall is an intern at IELR. She is a rising senior at Cornell University.
[1] Eboh, Camillus. “Nigerian Judge Adjourns Binance Money Laundering Trial to October.” Reuters, 16 July 2024, www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigerian-judge-adjourns-binance-money-laundering-trial-october-2024-07-16/.
[2] “Court Orders Arrest of Prison Doctor over Binance Executive’s Health.” Punch Newspapers, 16 July 2024, punchng.com/court-orders-arrest-of-prison-doctor-over-binance-executives-health/.
[3] Nigeria, News Agency of. “Binance Executive Gambaryan Arrives Courtroom in Wheelchair.” Peoples Gazette Nigeria, 16 July 2024, gazettengr.com/binance-executive-gambaryan-arrives-courtroom-in-wheelchair/.
[4] Reporters, Our. “Court Orders Arrest of Prison Doctor over Binance Executive’s Health.” Punch Newspapers, 16 July 2024, punchng.com/court-orders-arrest-of-prison-doctor-over-binance-executives-health/.
[5] Egbejule, Eromo. “Binance Executive Denied Bail in Nigeria over Money Laundering Charges.” The Guardian, 17 May 2024, www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/may/17/binance-executive-denied-bail-in-nigeria-over-money-laundering-charges.
[6] Hall, Kaila. “BINANCE RELIEVED after TAX EVASION CHARGES DROPPED.” IELR Blog, 19 June 2024, ielrblog.com/index.php/2024/06/18/binance-relieved-after-tax-evasion-charges-dropped/.
[7] McCormick, Richard. “H.Res.1348 – Urging the Government of Nigeria to Immediately Release Tigran Gambaryan from Imprisonment.” Congress.gov, 10 July 2024, www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-resolution/1348/text.
[8] Melendez, Bob. “S.712 – Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act.” Congress.gov, 7 Mar. 2019, www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/712.
[9] U.S. Congress. “Letter to President Biden, Secretary Blinken, and Special Presidential Envoy Carstens.” House Foreign Affairs Committee, 4 June 2024, foreignaffairs.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/McCormick-Letter-Gambaryan.pdf.
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