2024-04-24
The bail hearing for Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance emoloyee detained in Nigeria since February, has been rescheduled from April 22 to May 17.
According to reports from local news outlets on April 23, Gambaryan will remain in Nigeria’s Kuje prison until at least May 17, awaiting a judge's decision on whether to grant him bail.
Gambaryan traveled to Nigeria in February with another Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, to address allegations of currency manipulation.
Both executives were detained by Nigerian authorities after Binance announced its plan to halt naira transactions.
Gambaryan was initially due to appear in court on April 19, with the bail question to be addressed on April 22.
He has pleaded not guilty to tax evasion and money laundering charges brought by Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and his trial is scheduled for May 2.
Anjarwalla reportedly escaped custody in March using his Kenyan passport and may be extradited back to Nigeria from Kenya to face charges.
The charges against the Binance employees have faced criticism, as the company stated that Gambaryan had no decision-making authority.
On March 30, Tigran Gambaryan's wife launched a petition to the U.S. State Department, Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigerian government, and U.S. President Joe Biden, urging them to bring him back to the United States.
The petition has gathered 3,960 signatures as of April 23. In a separate case in the United States, former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao is expected to be sentenced on April 30 after pleading guilty to failing to maintain an Anti-Money Laundering program while leading the exchange and could be facing up to 10 years in prison.
