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Binance’s Gambaryan Free to Leave Nigeria for Medical Treatment After Money Laundering Charges Dropped: Reports
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Amitoj Singh, Camomile Shumba
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A local news outlet reported the money laundering charges against Tigran Gambaryan have been dropped by the government.
The charges were dropped to allow him to seek medical treatment abroad, another report said.
The government’s charges against Binance itself remain.
“People are on the way to give the order” to the Kuje prison and then he should be released “immediately,” Gambaryan’s lawyer Mark Mordi told CoinDesk on the phone. He did not share any other details about when Gambaryan is expected to leave the country.
Reuters reported that the government did so to allow Gambaryan to seek medical treatment abroad, citing the “government’s lawyer” who also said the Nigeria would continue the money laundering case against Binance without Gambaryan.
Binance is facing a tax-evasion trial with Nigeria demanding $10 billion in penalties for enabling some $26 billion of untraceable funds which purportedly led to the Nigerian naira weakening to record lows against the dollar.
Gambaryan, Binance’s head of financial crime compliance, has been detained in Nigeria since February, when he came to the nation at the invitation of the government to discuss issues related to the company. He had come with Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s regional manager for Africa, who escaped detention in March.
During his time in prison Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen, developed malaria, pneumonia and tonsillitis.But he was also suffering from complications tied to a herniated disc in his back which left him in need of a wheelchair – though in a video from his last court appearance, Gambaryan did not have a wheelchair and instead had to struggle on a single crutch, CoinDesk reported earlier.
Pressure had been mounting on the Nigerian authorities given Gambaryan’s ill-health. Gambaryan’s wife, Yuki Gambaryan illustrated the family’s ordeal through a recent podcast and a video, besides other frequent efforts to bring attention to the case.
During one of the earlier hearings, Mordi, told the court that former Internal Revenue Service agent needed surgery since July 18. Binance CEO Richard Teng and members of the U.S. Congress had urged Nigeria and U.S. authorities to help bring him back to the U.S.
The Gambaryan family, Binance and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission did not immediately respond to a CoinDesk request for comment.
UPDATE (Oct. 23, 12:23 UTC): Adds context and details throughout.
UPDATE (Oct. 23, 12:59 UTC): Adds quote from Gambaryan lawyer.
