Binance government denied bail in Nigeria cash laundering case

(This Oct. 11 story has been corrected to say ‘head of economic crime compliance,’ not ‘head of economic compliance,’ in paragraph 1, and to alter ‘compliance chief’ to ‘government’ within the headline)

By Camillus Eboh

ABUJA (Reuters) – Binance’s head of economic crime compliance was denied bail for a second time on Friday as his trial on cash laundering costs began in Nigeria, with a decide ruling that the jail by which he’s being held is able to assembly his medical wants.

Tigran Gambaryan, an American citizen, has been in detention in Nigeria because the finish of February. He and Binance deny the fees towards him.

He had requested the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja to free him on medical grounds, arguing that he wanted to endure surgical procedure outdoors jail and that his well being was deteriorating.

“There isn’t any proof earlier than this court docket that the Nigerian Correctional Service can not deal with the well being challenges of the accused,” Decide Emeka Nwite stated. 

Nwite additionally stated Gambaryan had not withdrawn an attraction towards a earlier bail ruling in Might and so his newest request “quantity to abuse of judicial course of to confess the accused to bail whereas an attraction is pending on the court docket of attraction.”

The decide adjourned the trial to Oct. 18 after Gambaryan’s lawyer cross-examined two state witnesses.

Gambaryan’s spouse, Yuki Gambaryan, stated her husband shouldn’t be in detention as a result of he was by no means a choice maker at Binance and she or he would proceed to struggle for his freedom.

“I simply pray that when he’s lastly launched that the harm he’s struggling is just not everlasting. I’m exhausted and deeply disillusioned,” she stated in a press release.  

Binance individually faces tax evasion costs, which it denies.