Friday, October 25, 2024 – The Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Binance, Tigran Gambaryan, has departed Nigeria days after the Federal government dropped money laundering charges against him.
The world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange
made the disclosure pf his departure from Nigeria in a statement released on
Thursday, October 24.
“Today, American citizen Tigran Gambaryan
left Nigeria to return home to his family after eight months of unlawful
detention.
“Gambaryan was allowed to leave Kuje prison
last night. His health has suffered significantly while in prison. He will now
be able to finally receive the medical attention he desperately requires,” the
exchange said.
Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday,
dismissed the money laundering charges brought against Gambaryan by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. During the court session, the EFCC
explained that the case could not proceed at the last adjourned date due to
Gambaryan’s declining health. The Nigerian Correctional Service and the Office
of the National Security Adviser, indicated that Gambaryan’s condition had
worsened to the extent that he could hardly walk without the aid of a
wheelchair.
Reacting to the dismissal of his charges
and departure from Nigeria, Gambaryan’s wife, Yuki, in a statement released,
expressed her relief that he has now regained his freedom.
“It is a huge relief that this day has
finally come. The past eight months have been a living nightmare. I wish it
hadn’t taken this long for his release or that his health had not declined so
much, but we can now focus on healing as a family.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to
the US government for their efforts in securing his release. I also want to
thank everyone who helped us throughout this ordeal. There were moments I
feared this day would never come, but Tigran’s supporters gave me hope and
strength.
“The road ahead for Tigran’s recovery is
going to be difficult, and I appreciate being given the time and space to focus
on that. Our children cannot wait to see their dad again'' she stated
In February, Nigerian authorities detained
Gambaryan and his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, a 37-year-old British-Kenyan
who serves as the regional manager for Africa at Binance. Both were charged
with money laundering involving $35m, as initiated by the anti-graft agency.
While Anjarwalla managed to escape custody on March 22, 2024, Gambaryan was
arraigned in court on April 8.
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