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- Binance’s Chief Compliance Officer has stated the company is in talks with the Nigerian government regarding the release of Tigran Gambaryan’s release
- Noah Perlman said at a cybersecurity conference that the company was doing all it could to broker a deal with the Nigerian government
- Gambaryan recently pleaded not guilty to charges of tax evasion and money laundering
Binance’s Chief Compliance Officer, Noah Perlman, has said that the company is engaged in discussions with the Nigerian government over the release of Tigran Gambaryan, the jailed head of financial crimes investigations. Gambaryan, who joined Binance in 2021 after working as an IRS special agent, was arrested in February alongside the exchange’s Africa head, Nadeem Anjarwalla, and recently pleaded not guilty to charges including money laundering and tax evasion, as well as manipulating Nigeria’s currency prices. Perlman said he was “optimistic” over a deal but that there was still much negotiating to be done.
Gambaryan Pleaded Not Guilty
Gambaryan and Anjarwalla’s situation has made headline news in many countries, with the pair seemingly held responsible for the actions of the entire company. Following a month’s detention, during which the pair complained of human rights abuses, Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service disclosed charges alleging Binance’s non-compliance with value-added tax and income tax and involvement in aiding customers in tax evasion through its platform.
Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were named as defendants in the case filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, with Gambaryan pleading not guilty earlier this week. Anjarwalla famously escaped detention at the end of March, complicating his personal situation.
Binance Doing All It Can
Perlman discussed the case yesterday at a cybersecurity conference hosted by Chainalysis, where he revealed that Gambaryan was in Nigeria at the government’s invitation, sparking suggestions of a devious trap set by Nigerian authorities.
Perlman added that Binance is “working as collaboratively as we can” with the Nigerian government to secure Gambaryan’s release, adding that he was “optimistic” of a positive outcome. He did note, however, that the situation is “just tragic.”
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