US lawmakers take action in Congress to free Binance executive in Nigeria – DL News

Two members of the US Congress have stepped up their efforts to free a Binance executive imprisoned in Nigeria for money laundering.

On Wednesday, Representative Richard McCormick of Georgia and his Republican colleague French Hill of Arkansas submitted a resolution to the House Foreign Affairs Committee calling for the “immediate release” of Tigran Gambaryan.

The resolution provided a detailed story of Gambaryan’s plight in Nigeria since he was arrested and detained on February 26 after visiting the country’s capital Abuja to meet with government officials about Binance’s operations.

The letter also highlighted Gambaryan’s poor health and the indifference of the Nigerian authorities towards his condition despite a court order.

While the resolution does not have the force of law, its authors hope it will encourage the White House to take action on the matter.

Congressman Hill visited Gambaryan in prison last month and reported that the Binance executive was suffering inhumane conditions.

Nigerian officials rejected claims by French and Gambaryan’s family that he did not receive adequate medical care.

But on July 5, Judge Emeka Nwite reprimanded the prosecution and prison officials for ignoring an earlier order to produce Gambaryan’s medical report to the accused’s representatives.

Poor health

Gambaryan collapsed in the courtroom at the beginning of the trial in May and showed visible signs of ill health in his subsequent court appearances, as reported by DL News.

In her response to the resolution, Gambaryan’s wife Yuki expressed her appreciation for the lawmakers’ efforts on her husband’s behalf.

“I hope that the US government’s intervention will speed up the process of his release. My husband is innocent, he is not a decision maker at Binance and I hope the Nigerian authorities will release him,” Yuki said in a statement to DL News.

“He must be released immediately.”

Gambaryan’s money laundering trial is scheduled to resume on July 15, but the proceedings could be hampered by a planned vacation of federal judges between mid-July and September.

The Binance executive pleaded not guilty to the charges brought by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which also names his employer Binance as a defendant.

Tax case

Binance and Gambaryan were also charged with tax offenses, but the case against Gambaryan was dropped because he did not represent the company in matters related to the complaint.

Nevertheless, the EFCC insists that it will continue proceedings against both.

The Nigerian government supports the EFCC. The country’s information minister, Mohammed Idris, stated: “They (Binance) have committed a crime.”

Osato Avan-Nomayo is our Nigeria-based DeFi correspondent. He covers DeFi and technology. To share tips or information on stories, please contact him at [email protected].