KEY POINTS
- Binance's compliance officer collapsed shortly after his case was called, as per local media
- Justice Nwite ordered Gambaryan's transfer to the hospital for medical care
- The Nigerian High Court recently denied Gambaryan's bail application
Tigran Gambaryan, the detained executive of cryptocurrency exchange giant Binance, collapsed in court Thursday during the trial for his alleged involvement in money laundering, multiple local outlets reported.
Gambaryan collapsed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria, shortly after Justice Emeka Nwite called for the trial's continuation, the Vanguard newspaper reported. The Binance chief of financial crime compliance reportedly collapsed while being assisted by his lawyer Mark Mordi to the dock when the case was called, as per the report.
The crypto executive had to be sat in the front row, and his lawyer informed the court that Gambaryan's health was deteriorating. "My lord, the case may not certainly proceed today," Mordi was quoted as saying.
Nwite then ordered the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) management to take Gambaryan to a hospital to receive prompt medical care, as per local Pulse.
Ekele Iheanacho, the lawyer of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which accused Gambaryan and another Binance executive (Nadeem Anjarwalla) of involvement in Binance's alleged money laundering and assisting customers to evade taxes, reportedly did not oppose the court's order. On the other hand, he opposed Mordi's suggestion that Gambaryan be treated specifically at the Nizamiye Hospital.
Mordi further told the court that his client's health had been deteriorating in recent weeks, but Gambaryan's defense managed to bring him to the trial, so the court would see for itself his true health condition. Nwite has since adjourned the matter for later in June, as per local media.
Just days earlier, Nwite denied Gambaryan's bail application. The Nigerian judge said he was "in the view that the applicant will jump bail if granted." He also explained that the Binance executive was in the same room as Anjarwalla when the latter escaped from Nigerian custody yet failed to report the escape immediately.
Gambaryan argued that he was sleeping when his colleague fled, but Nwite said the Binance compliance officer also attempted to obtain a new passport by telling the U.S. Embassy that he lost his passport, which the EFCC held.
Meanwhile, Anjarwalla has reportedly been arrested in Kenya after his escape. Nigerian authorities are reportedly working to get him extradited back to Nigeria and face trial.
Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were held against their will late in February. While Anjarwalla, Binance's manager for Africa, was able to flee Nigerian custody, Gambaryan remains in detention. His wife and Binance have called for his release multiple times.
My friend and colleague, Tigran Gambaryan, has been unlawfully detained by the Nigerian government for more than 70 days. We're tirelessly working to #BringTigranHome.
— Richard Teng (@_RichardTeng) May 7, 2024
For the first time publicly, I'm sharing the full context of this situation here. ⤵️https://t.co/Rg3DEYJZgW
