The Nigerian government has dropped money laundering charges against Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, who had been detained in the country since February.
A lawyer representing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced the charges were dropped at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday morning, Business Insider Africa reported. The Nigerian government will continue prosecuting Binance on the money laundering charges without Gambaryan, reports say, along with separate charges of tax evasion.
The decision to drop the charges on Gambaryan comes less than two weeks after a Nigerian court denied him bail on medical grounds. Gambaryan’s family protested the decision in a statement shared with The Block, saying there was "clear evidence of medical requirement," and that standard practices and precedents in the country should have allowed for his release.
Since Gambaryan’s transfer to Kuje prison in March, his physical and mental health has deteriorated rapidly, having suffered a herniated disc in his back and bouts of pneumonia, malaria and tonsillitis.
When entering the Abuja court on Sept. 2, he was denied the use of a wheelchair. A video of him arriving at court in a distressed state spread rapidly on social media and drew condemnation from Binance CEO Richard Teng, who demanded his release.
Gambaryan, a former Special Agent for the U.S. IRS and Binance’s Head of Financial Compliance, and Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa Regional Manager, were detained following their arrival in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, on Feb. 26.
Criminal charges were filed against Binance and the two executives on Feb. 28 in a $35 million money laundering and tax violation indictment. The tax charges against the executives were dropped in June, leaving Binance as the sole defendant, but the money laundering charges against all the defendants remain. Anjarwalla escaped from custody on March 22, though Gambaryan remained in detention.
The Nigerian government previously called the allegations of Gambaryan’s poor healthcare "false," asserting that the Binance executive "has access to quality medical care whenever required" along with consular services from the United States.
Gambaryan’s wife Yuki has repeatedly called for the U.S. to intervene in the case and bring her husband home. The U.S. Foreign Affairs Committee passed a resolution demanding Gambaryan's release last month.
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