THE head of financial crime at crypto firm Binance, Tigran Gambaryan, has said three Nigerian lawmakers allegedly demanded a $150 million bribe from him.
Gambaryan and another Binance official, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were detained by the Nigerian government, which accused their firm of money laundering and encouraging criminality in Nigeria.
While in detention, the Binance chief said some lawmakers solicited bribes from him to free him from arrest and prosecution.
He was eventually released after the government dropped the charges against him following the intervention of the US government led by former president Joe Biden.
But in a post on his X handle on Friday, February 14, Gambaryan, who was detained in Nigeria for several months listed some lawmakers as involved.
He added that, “At the House meeting, there were three members present.”
“There was a third House member, but I don’t recall his name. They set up fake cameras and media to make the meeting appear official, but the cameras weren’t even plugged in. As you may already know, this ended with them asking for a $150 million bribe, paid in cryptocurrency into their personal wallets. A Mickey Mouse operation at its best,” he tweeted.
Gambaryan also alleged in his post that the State Security Service (SSS), also known as the DSS, played a role in the meeting where the House members demanded the bribe.
He stated that a meeting was held with the SSS at its office on January 5, 2024, as a prerequisite to the subsequent meeting with the House of Representatives.
The ICIR reported that Gambaryan, a US national who was detained on February 26, 2024, was released on October 23, after the Nigerian government dropped the money laundering charges filed against him through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The trial judge, Emeka Nwite, discharged Gambayran on health grounds.
The EFCC had informed the court that the case could not proceed on the last adjourned date due to Gambayran’s health condition.
In early 2024, Gambaryan travelled to Nigeria to address regulatory concerns between Binance and the Nigerian government. During this visit, Gambaryan and his colleague, Anjarwalla, were detained by Nigerian authorities on allegations of money laundering and tax evasion.
While Anjarwalla managed to escape in mysterious circumstances, Gambaryan was held in Kuje Prison for eight months.
He was eventually released in late 2024 following diplomatic interventions from the U.S. government.
Update:
Provide evidence, lawmaker tells Binance chief
Philip Agbese, one of the three lawmakers Gambaryan named has denied the bribery allegation against him.
He said, “I am outraged by the false allegations made by Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of the controversial crypto firm Binance, claiming that I was among those who demanded a $150m bribe from him.”
“These allegations are false. I was not part of any meeting with any Binance executive regarding money for any purpose. The leadership of the committee took the matter to court, and Binance has already apologised.”
He also explained that he is not a member of the Committee on Economic and Financial Crimes.
A reporter with the ICIR
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