Yuki, the wife of detained Binance Executive Tigran Gambaryan, has accused Nigerian authorities of “playing with my husband’s life” amid health concerns.
Her statement on September 2, 2024, came after the Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned proceedings related to a money laundering case and bail application involving Binance and Gambaryan.
Nairametrics reports that the Nigerian government accused Binance and its executives, Tigran Gambaryan and the fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla, of conspiring to conceal the origin of financial proceeds from their alleged unlawful activities in Nigeria, including $35,400,000.
What transpired in court
Gambaryan’s family stated on August 26, 2024, that he has been in detention for six months and is suffering from severe pain due to a herniated disc in his back.
They claimed he had been denied access to appropriate medical care in Nigeria.
“In detention, he has been denied access to appropriate medical care and is now in so much pain from a herniated disc in his back that he can no longer walk. As he is bed-bound, he is taking blood thinners to avoid blood clots, and the prison doctor has said that his muscles have atrophied,” the family said.
On July 30, 2024, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a bench warrant for a medical doctor at the Kuje Correctional Centre for failing to produce Gambaryan’s medical report or appear in court, as Gambaryan had previously attended court in a wheelchair.
During the proceedings, Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mark Mordi SAN, requested a new bail application for the defendant due to his deteriorating health.
The application was filed on August 28, 2024.
Mordi stated he wanted the bail application heard immediately because the medical report for his client had not been provided as directed by the court.
Iheanacho, representing the opposing side, filed a counter affidavit, saying the medical records he received indicated that Gambaryan’s health challenge “is not as serious” as portrayed.
The Binance legal team contended that Gambaryan’s health is failing, calling the situation in Nigeria “most unfortunate.”
Iheanacho responded, saying, “My Lord, I don’t want to go into detail about this issue. Ordinarily, the defendant has been living with this disc condition for the past 12 years before coming to Nigeria. It is not a new issue.”
There was a disagreement between the lawyers regarding Gambaryan’s use of a wheelchair instead of crutches.
Iheanacho noted that prison officials prefer the wheelchair provided by the correctional service for security reasons(not the one from the Binance legal team).
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the case to September 11, 2024, directing prison officials to provide Gambaryan with a wheelchair and ensure he uses it.
Family’s Statement
In a statement sent to Nairametrics on September 2, 2024, Gambaryan’s wife described the situation as “entirely unjust.”
She expressed concern over his deteriorating health and accused Nigerian authorities of denying his health issues.
She stated, “The prison has withheld his medical records for months, and even the partial records they finally released today say that Tigran needs surgery. They cannot keep playing games with my husband’s life like this. This entire situation is inhumane and degrading, and I am fed up. There must be consequences for this disregard of law and human rights,” she said through the family’s communication agency, Mondo-Advisory.
More insights
During today’s proceedings, the court also directed an official from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to provide outstanding documents needed by the Binance legal team for their defense.
A director from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) informed the court that the Binance platform had become a reference point for determining Nigeria’s exchange rate.
The SEC is responsible for registering capital market stakeholders, instruments to be traded, and trading platforms.
Binance and its executives face two separate suits from the FIRS and EFCC: tax evasion from the former and money laundering and foreign exchange violations from the latter. The FIRS has discharged the executives from its case, isolating Binance.
The executives have also filed a fundamental rights case against Nigerian government agencies, alleging violations of their constitutional right to liberty.
On February 28, Nigerian authorities detained two senior Binance executives, Nadeem Anjarwalla, a 37-year-old British-Kenyan regional manager for Africa, and Tigran Gambaryan, a 39-year-old American head of financial crime compliance at Binance.
Gambaryan’s family has raised alarms about his health and urged the EFCC to release him while pursuing its case against Binance.
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