Nigerian court ordered the release of Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan on Wednesday after the government filed money laundering charges against him to enable him to receive medical treatment abroad.
EFCC attorneys said Wednesday that Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has withdrawn a case against U.S. citizen and head of financial crime compliance.
The EFCC said it would continue to conduct money laundering cases against Binance without Gambaryan.
Gambaryan has been detained in Nigeria since late February and held in Kuye Prison. He laundered more than $35 million (approximately Rs 29.4 billion) with Binance. Gambaryan and Binance denied the charges.
The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange’s separate tax evasion charges against Binance remain. Binance also denied the allegations.
“We have withdrawn the money laundering charges against Tigran Gambaryan, allowing him to receive medical treatment abroad,” said EFCC lawyer Ekele Ihenacho.
Ihenacho added that diplomatic arrangements also helped ensure the release of Gambaryan without elaboration.
Gambaryan’s wife Yuki said in August that her husband’s health worsened in prison until “it could cause permanent damage and affect his ability to walk”. She demands his release and vows to fight for his release.
Last week, the court extended Gambaryan’s trial to Friday because he was unable to appear due to illness. The lawyer said the case was brought to Wednesday to give him freedom and allow him to undergo medical treatment outside Nigeria.
©Thomson Reuters 2024
(This story has not been edited by Tech Word News’s staff and is automatically generated from the joint feed.)
