The bail application hearing for Tigran Gambaryan, an executive at Binance, has once again been postponed by a Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria. Originally scheduled for April 18, the hearing has now been rescheduled for April 22, as reported by local news agency Nairametrics. During the court session, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) informed the court that Gambaryan’s lawyer had submitted an additional affidavit to his bail application on April 16. The defense raised new points, requiring time for a proper response in the pursuit of justice. The judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, agreed to postpone the proceedings. However, Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mark Mordi, criticized the prosecution for not filing a response to the additional affidavit. Gambaryan has been in federal government custody for over 14 days. The Binance executive pleaded not guilty to money laundering charges and was remanded by the trial judge. The EFCC accused Binance, Gambaryan, and Nadeem Anjarwalla of concealing the source of $35.4 million revenue in Nigeria, alleging it was the proceeds of unlawful activity. Mordi requested bail for his client under lenient conditions. The court allowed the EFCC to hold the Binance executives for 14 days and ordered Binance to provide the government with access to data and details of Nigerian traders using its platform. Binance and its executives are facing two separate lawsuits related to tax evasion and money laundering and foreign exchange violations. Gambaryan is also suing the government for violating his fundamental human rights, claiming that his detention in Nigeria and the confiscation of his passport violates the country’s constitution. Gambaryan, along with Nadeem Anjarwalla, was arrested by Nigerian officials on Feb. 28 during a visit to Nigeria. The arrest came after the government banned cryptocurrency channels as part of an effort to curb currency speculation. Anjarwalla managed to escape detention using a fake passport.
Binance executive's bail appeal fails yet again, leaving them in continued detention