U.S. Lawmakers Urge Nigeria To Drop Charges Against Binance Executive
United States lawmakers French Hill and Chrissy Houlahan recently paid a visit to the detained Binance executive in Nigeria. In one of his recent tweets, Hill underscored the pathetic condition that Tigran Gambaryan is going through in the Nigerian prison.
The drama between Binance and the Nigerian government has been going on for a while. Even though Binance has faced regulatory scrutiny in different jurisdictions, the one in Nigeria has escalated for numerous reasons.
Key points:
- Tigran Gambaryan is suffering from malaria and double pneumonia in Kuje Prison.
- Nigeria dropped tax evasion charges against Gambaryan on June 14, but money laundering charges remain.
- Gambaryan is a former IRS Special Agent with a decade of experience in cyber and financial crime investigations.
- Representatives Hill and Houlahan are calling for Gambaryan’s humanitarian release and the dismissal of the remaining charges.
It all began when the Nigerian government raised charges against Binance for failing to apply the necessary anti money laundering rules. The government accused that the actions had affected the value of the naira.
Amidst the drama between the exchange and the government, a U.S. citizen and the exchange’s financial crimes compliance unit head, Gambaryan, is paying the price.
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Binance executive denied access to necessary medical access
Hill mentioned in his tweet that Gambaryan was denied access to adequate medical attention in the prison. Even though Nigeria dropped tax evasion charges against Gambaryan, Hill stated that he is being wrongfully detained.
As witnessed by U.S. lawmakers, the executive is suffering from malaria and double pneumonia. Hill also highlighted Gambaryan’s commitment to his work, which included fighting against money laundering and tax evasion. The Binance executive had also devoted his life to being a special IRS agent.
To relieve Gambaryan from his suffering, Hill has signed a letter with Rep. McCormick and 16 of his colleagues for the immediate release of Tigran. Hill also urged the government the government to grant Gambaryan a humanitarian release and asked for the charges to be dropped.
