Nigerian authorities have decided to drop some of the charges against Tigran Gambaryan, an executive from Binance who is currently being detained, as confirmed by a spokesperson for his family on June 14. The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has decided to dismiss tax charges against both Gambaryan and his colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla from Binance. However, the duo still faces allegations of money laundering from Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with the case expected to resume on June 20.
The Gambaryan family’s representatives have criticized the charges as baseless, pointing to the dismissal of tax charges by FIRS as proof that the accusations were unfounded from the start. Gambaryan’s health has been a major concern following reports of him collapsing in court due to Malaria on May 23. Family representatives have stated that his health has worsened since then, with Gambaryan now suffering from pneumonia. They also claim that prison authorities are not providing sufficient information on his well-being.
Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla were arrested by Nigerian authorities back in February on charges of money laundering and tax evasion related to Binance, even though the company had agreed to exit the African country. In March, Anjarwalla managed to escape Nigerian custody using his Kenyan passport to flee to Kenya. However, he was later apprehended in Kenya and is facing extradition back to Nigeria.
The imprisonment of Gambaryan has sparked an outpouring of support, with U.S. lawmakers sending a letter to the State Department and presidential envoy for hostage affairs Roger D. Carstens to highlight Gambaryan’s situation. Former federal prosecutors have also joined in the calls for Gambaryan’s release, signing a letter to the State Department on June 6.