Nigeria rejects Binance CEO's bribery declare as 'diversionary tactic'

By Camillus Eboh

ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigerian authorities on Wednesday denied allegations from Binance’s CEO of soliciting bribes, saying the declare was a “diversionary tactic” and an “act of blackmail” aimed toward undermining ongoing prison expenses in opposition to the corporate.

Binance, the world’s largest crypto trade, and two of its executives face separate trials on expenses of tax evasion and laundering greater than $35 million, which the corporate is difficult.

Tigran Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen and Binance’s head of economic crime compliance, stays in custody whereas British-Kenyan Nadeem Anjarwalla has fled the nation.

CEO Richard Teng in a weblog put up accused unidentified Nigerian officers of demanding a $150 million cryptocurrency bribe to halt the investigations.

In an announcement on Wednesday, Nigeria’s Info Ministry spokesperson Rabiu Ibrahim mentioned the claims “lack any iota of substance”. He accused Binance of trying to undermine the nation’s authorized proceedings.

“It’s nothing however a diversionary tactic and an tried act of blackmail by an organization determined to obfuscate the grievous prison expenses it’s going through in Nigeria,” Ibrahim mentioned.

“The details of this matter stay that Binance is being investigated in Nigeria for permitting its platform for use for cash laundering, terrorism financing, and overseas trade manipulation via unlawful buying and selling,” he mentioned.

Nigerian authorities declare the bribery allegations are a part of a wider marketing campaign by Binance to discredit investigations in opposition to the corporate, citing comparable authorized troubles in the USA.

Binance didn’t instantly remark, however in an announcement on Tuesday accused Nigeria of setting a harmful precedent after its executives had been invited for talks after which detained as a part of a crackdown on the crypto trade.

Teng’s weblog is the most recent in a dispute that has already seen Binance shut in Nigeria.

Nigeria blamed Binance for its forex issues after cryptocurrency web sites emerged as platforms of selection for buying and selling the Nigerian naira because the nation grappled with power greenback shortages.

Binance mentioned in early March it was stopping all transactions and buying and selling in naira.